


Ain't All it's Cut Out to Be

by SuperSaiyanHollow



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Adoption, Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Assassination, Atheism, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Child Abandonment, Childhood Trauma, Corpses, Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epilogue, Established Relationship, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Foster Care, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay, Gore, Graphic Description, Gun Violence, HXH Big Bang 2017, Homophobia, Hunter x Hunter Big Bang 2017, HxHBB17, Implied Sexual Content, Interrogation, Kidnapping, Kissing, M/M, Massacre, Mental Breakdown, Mention of Death, NSFW, Original Character Death(s), Orphans, Past Tense, Pre-Relationship, Religious Content, Romantic Friendship, Serial Killers, Sleeping Pill Addiciton, Sleeping Together, Suicide, Tragedy, Trauma, Violence, hisoillu, leopika - Freeform, plot heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-05 09:00:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11010213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSaiyanHollow/pseuds/SuperSaiyanHollow
Summary: Padokea City never sleeps. As police chief, Leorio’s job should be pretty straight-forward, but the demons haunting Padokea City make his job that much harder. The local demons come in all shapes and sizes. A malicious gang comprised of misfits who call themselves the Phantom Troupe. A family of professional, lethal assassins who rule the underworld. An unknown perpetrator of various bizarre crimes who only seems to want to get a message across, whatever the hell it may be. Not to mention the hundreds of wanted criminals roaming the streets of Padokea City on the daily. But, he’s not alone. Kurapika, his top detective with a personal score to settle, will always have his back through thick and thin. There’s also that crushing weight that bears down on his shoulders whenever that orphan, Gon, turns up to the station looking for his criminal father. It’s the good people of Padokea City like Gon that allow him to sleep peacefully at night, knowing he’s doing the right thing. The hordes of demons never stop swarming in Padokea City, but like the devil himself, Leorio stands guard over his precious city, prepared to sift through the masses and get to the bottom of each and every crime no matter what it takes.





	1. Dreams Really Do Come True

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It seems I was mistaken! I was allowed to post my Big Bang though only on AO3! I'm so excited to share this with you guys, finally! I worked so hard on this over the past few months. The plans for this fic were 65 pages alone. As soon as I saw the announcement for the Big Bang I knew I wanted to do something long. My goal for the event was 40k and I'm pleased to say that I met it! This will be the longest fic that I have written to date. It's been so long since I've actually written something with multiple chapters and without smut! This is also the first fic I've ever written for Leopika, so be easy with me. Please? I am so happy to be able to share this because it helped me realize that I could write something of this magnitude with this much plot and development. Trust me, this is plot heavy! I've always had super long fic ideas, but no idea where to even begin with them. Writing this fic showed me I could do that, so hopefully, in the future after I've had a long break because I earned, I'll write another huge fic. Just wait and see! And, to the artist drawing something for my story right now, I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be sure and link the art to this story as soon as it's announced on June 1st! I'll be updating this story daily until June 1st since I have 7 chapters including the epilogue! I'd like to thank both the mods working on the Big Bang who are amazing people, shalnarkonice and gonfreacss on Tumblr! This was a truly wonderful experience and I am so glad I could take part in it! Hopefully, I'll be in it again next year! 
> 
> With that being said, please read this fic at your own risk! There's a lot of content in here and I tried to properly tag everything but I may have missed something! I will be updating the tags as I re-read and edit the chapters. If there is something you would like me to tag, please let me know! It's no big deal~. 
> 
> This story was heavily inspired by the video game known as "This is the Police". I watched one of my favorite YouTubers play through it back in December and I loved it so much that I wrote this fic! It's not an exact copy of the game with HXH characters. I took the concept and ran with it though there are blatant similarities. I highly recommend this game and I hope I captured its essence within this work. Here is the playlist link if you'd like to watch it yourself: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqfXQ-ztmZJPmu4NZuMzByUxWCkOYgaY
> 
> Because this fic is an AU, some of the characterizations may be off. You have been warned. 
> 
> I finally received my artwork! @toomuchhisoka posted it! I would put her art in the fic, but I want to give credit where credit is due, so here's the link: https://toomuchhisoka.tumblr.com/post/161295190828/heres-my-works-for-aint-all-its-cut-out-to-be
> 
> As some of you may not know my main blog is yaoiobsessedwrites if you'd like to follow me on Tumblr. I created a new Tumblr called supahimagery along with yaoiobsessedwrites. This new blog is strictly for writing! I've decided to share my knowledge with you all and post writing tips and tricks! I also reblog useful resources~. This is not just for fanfiction either! I will also be tackling essay writing and original works! I've already got one post up about the basics of writing smut, so for all of you out there who need a little bit of guidance, check it out! I will also be posting my own works to that blog, but you can also find them on my main Tumblr, yaoiobsessedwrites, so don't worry~!
> 
> If you have any questions about my writing or would like to see something specific, email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com! 
> 
> With all that said, I hope you all enjoy this fic and the art that is soon to come! Be sure to check out the other Big Bang works on the hxhbb17 Tumblr! Seriously, everyone involved in this really needs the praise and support. We all did fantastic! I'm proud to finally be able to share my fic with you all. 
> 
> Let's get this show on the road~!
> 
> Disclaimer: I in no way own Hunter x Hunter or This is the Police nor do I own any of its characters. I make no profit from this fic.

When he was 19, he would have told anyone around that his dream job was to be the police chief of Padokea City. Back then, he was a just a kid with a head filled with big, obnoxious dreams. Dreams of turning this city around, arresting every perpetrator that dared entered  _ his  _ domain, and serving them their justice on a silver platter. Yes, back then, he had a pep in his step, a purpose in life as he trained through the Academy. All he wanted was to make their fair city a better place, but as young as he had been, he hadn’t even known the  _ half  _ of the sins committed in Padokea, or should he say Gomorrah? 

Leorio Paladiknight was now 30 and he’d realized his dream of becoming police chief a mere three years ago. But, the ambition he once held had slowly dwindled as his time in the force increased. It didn’t take him long to realize that not every criminal could be caught, that not every victim could be saved, and that not every crime had a resolution. He’ll never forget the first time he was forced to shoot his gun, his grip so unsteady it was miracle he managed to shoot the offender at all, yet there he had laid, a pool of blood under his leg from the wound Leorio inflicted. Every heartfelt legal show out there would then write in the script: “Scaredy-cat officer rushes to the criminal and handcuffs him while bravely stuttering out his Miranda rights.” The thing they don’t include was when the officer approached the downed criminal only to have the bastard whip his torso around, his own glock at the ready. They don’t show the newbie officer getting grazed in the shoulder by a bullet nor the way his colleagues have to come rushing in to apprehend the crook because he had fallen flat on his ass from what he believed to be a fatal shot. It was then that he knew that not everything ended happily, courageously, and damn sure not perfectly. 

After the first year on the force, he was tired. After the third year, he was exhausted. And after the seventh year, he was shocked to see he wasn’t  _ dead _ . When he was finally appointed to be Padokea’s police chief, his vision for the future had long been shattered. He had no plans for this city, no way of improving the cesspool they called home. All he knew how to do was to keep it afloat, and he did a damn good job of that. Wave after wave of criminals ambushed Padokea. There was no dry season here, the air humid with malignant forces throughout the year. Sometimes he dealt with small time burglars. Sometimes he dealt with the local gangs. And, sometimes he played a game of cat and mouse with the latest psychopath. Though he was nowhere near old, Leorio’s eyes had already seen it all. Not much surprised him anymore, so when a call came out that morning about a disruptive protest in the inner city, he didn’t even bat an eyelash. He straightened his tie, climbed into his old truck, and hit the road with an ever-present scowl on his face. 

There was only one reason he would be called out to such a mundane crime. Some newbie officers didn’t know how to handle an unruly protest, the crowd quickly turning into a whirlpool of hissing and outspoken voices; he’d dealt with plenty before. As such, the trembling newbies had phoned Big Daddy aka him to take care of the mean bad guys. He rolled his eyes as he mindlessly sped through the streets, siren raising hell as he went. In actuality, the call had come in because the officers on duty had said he  _ absolutely  _ “had to see this”. Over the phone, they had seemed unsure of how to deal with the protest. They just kept saying he had to see it with his own eyes. And as he pulled up behind the roadblock they had put in place, he prepared to be astounded.  _ Not.  _

He clamoured out of his truck, slamming the door shut. His lips were pulled to the side, disgruntled. He looked around, surveying the scene. The roadblocks had been placed on Main Street since the protesters were walking down that way. There was a crescendo of noise coming from all directions, common for a protest of this scale. He walked up to the roadblocks where a few officers were standing around, living up to their title by simply gawking at the street before them. He came up between a man, who was lifting his hat, one hand on his hip as he watched whatever was ahead of the roadblock, and a woman who was shaking her head in disbelief. He cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. 

Instantly, they both whipped around, sputtering when they saw the police chief scowling at them. The woman stared at him with wide eyes while the man stepped up to the plate, adjusting his belt. 

“Mr. Paladiknight,” he awkwardly coughed out.

His eyes narrowed at the intimidated officer. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded. 

The officer continued to gape at him before smacking his slightly quivering lips. “There’s a disruptive protest taking place and um...Well, sir, I think you should see this.” 

The man then moved out of his way, gesturing forward toward the roadblock. Leorio sighed heavily, rolling his eyes as he approached the barricade. From here, he was able to make out a few of the dissonant sounds like the drawn-out, furious honking of cars and the jumble of curses being thrown out as if no children were in earshot. He steadied himself behind the barrier, hands tucked into his pockets, unimpressed eyes drinking in the silhouettes advancing towards him. He could already hear the monotonous drone of their chanting even before he could make them out. He figured it was another feminist protest or perhaps a racist one. Those were always hot topics in the city. It was surprising how many people actually gave a damn in this crime hotbed, but he supposed there would always be people out there with a heart bigger than his own who still wished to give this city a chance. He saved his prayers for more important matters now. 

He shifted his weight to one leg, leaning back as more of the protesters moved towards the roadblock. If possible, the honking and cursing reached a fever-pitch when the protesters drew closer. It was hard to hear their words over the ire of the civilians, but he somehow managed to make it out. 

“We are valid! We are legal! Same-sex marriage was ratified by the people!” 

“What the fuck…” 

For a moment, Leorio’s eyebrows furrowed, not believing what he was hearing. That couldn’t be right. There was no way in hell...But, as the figures approached him he could make out their tuxedos and wedding dresses. It was a long line consisting of same-sex couples walking hand in hand. They were all dressed for a wedding, faces the exact opposite of  _ gay _ . As they marched, they repeated their mantra as loud as they could. In the background, he could pick up obscene remarks about faggots and sodomites. His scowl deepened. The townspeople had time to complain about the other civilians taking it up the ass or rubbing pussies, a  _ typically  _ private affair, while their neighbors filled each other with bullet holes out in broad daylight. 

_ Bunch of fucking hypocrites…  _

However, the thing that concerned him the most was the fact that the protesters knew about the law that had just recently been passed. The judges had signed off on the bill saying same-sex marriage was constitutional maybe two days ago. No word had been released to the public about the decision, so unless these lunatics were just spouting nonsense that just so happened to be true, then they had a leak on their hands. Great, just the thing he needed. He always loved it when the mayor called him unexpectedly to tell him how to do  _ his  _ job. 

Other than that, the protest wouldn’t be that bad except the marchers were parading down Main Street, stopping the flow of traffic. And when some asshole got overheated about having to wait in his car for an extra  _ two  _ minutes, blood was usually shed. Just another day in paradise. 

Leorio stretched out his arm, snapping his fingers a few times. The woman who had looked at him dumbly jerked into action. She rounded up a megaphone, shakily placing it into his waiting palm. He gripped the handle tightly, bringing it up to his mouth. 

With a click of the button, he barked into the megaphone, “Stop in the name of the law!” 

The protest wasn’t violent at all, not even using slurs in their chant. The couples gathered around the roadblock, their revered mantra trailing from their lips. The street became eerily silent for a moment before the hustle and bustle of Padokea picked up again. 

Leorio removed the megaphone from his mouth, eyeing up the men and women surrounding him. He cleared his throat, booming voice echoing to the very back of the line. “Who’s in charge of this whole shebang and how the hell do you all know about the passing of the damn bill?” 

His question riled up the crowd, a gentle murmuring engulfing the street as they all tried to convene as one. His eyes skim the crowd, looking for anyone who seemed like they were in charge, anyone prominent. His eyes stayed glued to a few people, but none of them spoke up. Instead, a few of the protesters in the front answered him. 

“Dunno…” 

“I was told about the march from my friend.”  

“This wasn’t really organized. It got passed around and we all showed up.” 

Leorio huffed, elbows flared as his hands clenched in his pockets. There had to be someone in charge of this whole operation. He sincerely doubted all these people just “showed up”. He was contemplating possible suspects from the usual troublemakers around town when another voice spoke up. 

“Father Godwin of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church organized it! He’s the one who got the word out.” When an uproar of doubt took over the crowd the protestor shouted, “It’s true! I swear!” 

“Huh,” Leorio mumbled, turning on his heel as the couples verbally assaulted the man who spoke up. On his way back to his truck, he nudged the officer from before. “Take care of the rest, will ya?” he said unquestionably. The man gulped, but then ran off to do as he was told. 

Father Godwin was a household name down at the station. They’ve had to send more than a couple officers down to his place of worship. He was a deeply passionate and devout man who ran the most homophobic and hate-oriented church in Padokea. The man took the Bible to heart, believing in its messages candidly. Leorio really couldn’t give a damn about a “higher being”, but he was skeptical about this lead. Why would Father Godwin organize a protest announcing the passage of the same-sex marriage bill? Something wasn’t adding up, so it was up to him to figure it out. He’ll start by heading to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church himself. 

Most days he doesn’t deal with petty crime like this, but today was an exception it seemed. It was rare for Padokea to have to deal with outlandish protests. He smelt trouble and he thought he knew just who the culprit was. There was only one person in this city who could pull off something so bizarre and ironic. He kept his theory to himself though as he cruised down a little side street, approaching the old wooden church by the corner. There was nothing overly impressive about Holy Trinity. It looked like any ole church littered across the city. The only difference was the sign out loud proclaiming, “A true marriage. A male and female and God.” Leorio snorted at the overly bitter declaration as he pulled up into one of the front parking spaces. He knew for sure now that something wasn’t right. If good Father Godwin was still desperately clinging to his Christian ideologies, why support the protest?  

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon right after church let out, so he didn’t have to deal with all the fanatics. The parking lot was sparse, but he recognized Godwin’s beat-up Mustang near the sign. He walked up the small amount of stairs to the front entrance, pushing open the heavy, antique doors with both hands. The church was dark on the inside, only a meager bit of light filtering through the numerous stain-glassed windows. As the doors opened, the church was filled with a burst of light that quickly disappeared once Leorio was inside. He coughed into his hand as he entered, dust settling around him. The pews were empty, Bibles and hymn books sloppily placed into the back of them from where the parishioners had hurriedly fled once the service was over. The altar was as grandiosely decorated as the dinky church could manage: multiple arrangements of different colored flowers, a glowing cross on the back wall above it, and a multitude of candles that were still smoking after being blown out. 

Leorio surveyed the scene indifferently, not impressed in the slightest. He wasn’t a man of religion; he’d seen too much shit to believe in a “god”. But, he had a particular distaste for this church thanks to its discriminatory practices not only to homosexuals, but other members of the community as well. They hadn’t been able to prove Father Godwin was connected to the KKK, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the old bastard didn’t adorn his white hood on the weekends when he wasn’t spewing nonsense at his church. Had this been any other church in Padokea, he would have at least shown a bit of respect, but to him, this was no church. 

With that in mind, he walked towards the altar, scowling down at the pews. He wanted to get out of here as fast as he could. He walked around the altar, to the left, where there was a door at the back. There was a simple plaque on the rustic wood that read, “Pastor’s Office”. He knocked several times before entering slowly. The door creaked as he pushed it open. He poked his head inside, finding Father Godwin fingering the spines of books older than he was behind his desk. Leorio stepped in, shutting the door behind him. At this, Father Godwin turned while pulling out a book. When he saw Leorio standing there rigidly, he sputtered, stumbling back and letting the book unceremoniously drop to the floor. The worn-out pages crinkled and flapped before it struck the ground with a tremendous sound. 

Leorio raised a brow at the distressed form of Father Godwin. The pastor stared at him for a few long moments before dusting off his clammy palms onto his own robes. He cleared his throat, straightening as he eyed Leorio shakily. The pastor attempted to appear composed, but he saw right through that little facade. He didn’t even pick up the fallen book behind his desk.  

“Mr. Paladiknight,” he huffed out, pressing out the wrinkles of his garment as he cocked his head up. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

He didn’t say a word as he stepped towards the man’s desk. “Cut the crap, Godwin. You know exactly why I’m here.” 

The pastor looked taken aback by his statement, but Leorio watched as a bead of sweat trailed down his wrinkled skin. He quivered for a moment, mouth dry as his tongue darted out to lick parched lips. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The protest today, Godwin. I got word you’re the one who organized it.” 

Father Godwin’s shoulders slumped, his arms crossing over his chest like he was trying to keep himself together. “Protest…,” he weakly uttered, scared. 

“C’mon, Godwin. Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he persuaded, hand coming out of his pocket to tap his knuckles along the desk. 

Father Godwin breathed out deeply before he uncrossed his arms in a flurry. “Alright, alright!” His arms flapped wildly, like the pages of the book, for a moment. “I organized it, but not because I wanted to! You really think I’m on those  _ fags _ ’ side?!” he gruffed, eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed. 

“Hell no. Why do you think I’m here, old man?” 

“You certainly ain’t no spring chicken yourself,” he spat, finally looking like the ornery man Leorio knew him to be. 

“So, spill it,” he demanded, fist pounding onto the desk  _ lightly _ . 

Father Godwin shuddered, but he shot him a look full of venom. He hesitated for a moment, almost like he wasn’t going to answer, but then his pale lips parted. “I only did it cause that damn Magician told me to!”

Leorio’s eyes light up. “ _ The  _ Magician.” 

“Yeah, that bastard! And, don’t go getting yours hopes up. He approached me as I was closing up last week. Said if I turned around he’d kill me on the spot.” The man shuddered again like a cold chill ran up his back. “He had this creepy chuckle… I knew he would kill me, if he really wanted to! So, he tells me to organize this blasphemous protest, or he’ll be sure to kill me…  _ slowly _ .” He looked to Leorio like he expected a reaction, sympathy or something. When he didn’t get it he continued. “So, of course I did it! I want to go to Heaven, but no time soon!” 

Leorio puffed. “I’m sure you wouldn’t go there anyways…” He corrected his posture, bringing his fist off the desk as the pastor gaped at him as if that was the most horrendous thing anyone had ever said to him. “Thank you for your time,  _ Father _ ,” he said sarcastically, turning on his heel. 

“You just make sure that joker doesn’t come after me!” 

He slammed the office door on the irate man. Sighing in relief at being away from such an asshole, he contemplated this information. “The Magician”, as the media dubbed him, was a notorious criminal not because he liked to leave mosaics of corpses lying around, but because of his extravagant disruptions of the peace. He’d never killed a man, but he sure as hell has made that man angry with his obscene and fantastical messages. The Magician was the everyday vigilante, spreading his own form of weird justice to the people in peculiar ways. Leorio has been hunting this guy for months now. No one has ever seen his face and his crimes aren’t big enough to warrant a lot of investigating. He figured it was this lunatic’s doing considering the circumstances of the protest. Only a wiseguy like The Magician would force the most vocal homophobe in Padokea to lead a gay rights protest. 

With that settled, he went to leave the church, walking around the altar, but he stopped at what he saw. Kneeling before the altar was his top detective, Kurapika Kurta. His hands were clasped together in front of him, head bent down. As Leorio approached him, he could hear the other’s frantic mumbling. 

“...forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” 

Leorio scoffed, hands going back into his pockets as he waited on the steps of the altar for Kurapika. “I don’t understand how you can still believe in a “god”. You’ve been on the force how long? How can you even pray at a church like this where they preach hate at the service?” 

Kurapika ignored his questions as he finished his prayer. He stayed there a moment longer, overcome with emotion. When he finally did stand, Leorio could see that his eyes were glossy. His fists were clenched by his sides, looking over the altar mournfully. Then, he turned to him, still upset. 

“God will always have my back even out there where things seem desolate. And, any church is holy, it is the people who poison it,” he replied with a firm conviction. 

Leorio shrugged, staring off at the empty pews. “What are you doing here?” 

“I was called out to do some investigative work of the protest. I was told you were headed here after discovering a lead, so I followed.” He went down the steps until he was at Leorio’s level. “Forgive me for taking a moment for myself while waiting on you.” 

He waved a dismissive hand. “Some protestor informed me that the bastard pastor was the one who organized the whole thing. Found out from him that The Magician made him do it.” He sighed heavily. “Of course, bastard didn’t see his face.” 

Kurapika had managed to calm his emotions, the tears that had been forming in his eyes blinked away. He smiled cockily seeing as he was in a better mood now that Leorio was here. “So, no new leads? You’ve been tracking this guy for how long now?”

Leorio’s eye twitched and he whipped his head around to face the detective. “And, have you found out anything about the Phantom Troupe?” he barked, suddenly irritated by the man’s presence.  

He knew that was a low blow, an awful comeback, but the fallen expression of the other simply justified that. His lips were parted slightly, mouth upturned as his eyebrows scrunched together. Leorio could tell there was a vicious jab on the tip of his tongue, but it got caught in his throat as the church doors were violently flung open. Leorio spun around while Kurapika looked off towards the entrance at the commotion. An officer ran in, appearing out of breath. Two more waited by the doors. 

“Mr. Paladiknight!” he announced as he came to a stop in front of the altar. “The protest has been handled, but the mayor would like a word with you.” 

Leorio cursed under his breath, his whole body jerking along to the sound . He hated the fucking snot-nosed, corrupt mayor. He swore the man was dirty. It was obvious he had dozen of illicit ties to the underworld. Anyone who spoke out against him usually fled the city or was found dead. No one had been able to link it all back to the mayor though, so he was forced to meet with the fucker. He was probably just going to spew and curse at him about the protest and how sensitive information got out. Joke’s on him, Leorio doesn’t have any answers for him. 

He groaned, looking back at Kurapika as he descended the steps of the altar. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Good luck,” Kurapika quipped back, crossing his arms as a smirk spread across his features. Served the chief of police right for mocking him. 

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone, a man observed the protest in glee from a nearby rooftop that was closer to the church than the main road. He gazed out over the railing of the old building, watching as a “Mr.Paladiknight” came strolling out of the church with officers by his side. He chuckled, admiring the deep frown on Leorio’s face as he walked over to his crappy truck.

“No clues for you there, huh darling~?” 

 The stranger watched the chief of police climb into his truck, and then drive off towards City Hall behind a police cruiser. He bit his bottom lip, trembling in excitement. Oh, he had been so _close_! If only he had known…

Suddenly, the silence of the rooftop was disturbed by the incessant ringing of his own cellphone. He straightened from the railing, digging into his pocket to find his phone. He saw the contact name on the screen. He let loose a curvy grin as he answered the call. 

“Did you hear the news, Illu~? They’re making gay marriage legal. We can finally get married,” he teased, knowing the other had been dreaming of their marriage. 

Illumi’s face remained stoic on the other end as he listened to his partner. “Are you finally offering, Hisoka?” he inquired. The only thing stopping them from getting married was the idiot himself seeing as he had commitment issues. Illumi would have gladly swept him off his feet months ago…

“Put your silly game on hold. I have actual business to discuss with you.” 

Hisoka giggled. “Oh, Illu~. Have I been naughty? Please don’t punish me. I’ll be right there~!”

* * *

“Mr. Paladiknight, what the  _ fuck _ ?!” 

Leorio slumped further down into his seat, head leaning back against the chair. He groaned lowly, arms crossed, legs spread out. 

“Don’t give me that shit! What the fuck was that protest earlier, hmm?” 

At this, Leorio lifted his head slightly, glaring at the man sitting behind his pristine desk. The mayor was glaring back just as fiercely, hands gripping each other painfully on top of his desk. He could hear his foot tapping impatiently. He watched a few cars dash by out of the huge window on the back wall of the office. His eyes then shifted back to the mayor and he swore the man’s head was going to explode. Best to try and calm him down before all of City Hall came crashing down around them. 

“How the fuck am I supposed to know Mr. Jones?! The damn Magician told Godwin to do it and with no leads on The Magician, there’s no way for me to find out how he knew!” he shouted, eyebrows furrowed. He then slumped to one side of the chair. 

“Then, get some damn leads, Paladiknight! That’s your fucking job and I suggest you start doing it!” 

Leorio sat up in his seat, temper rising, his own blood boiling, mouth agape in offense. “I’m doing my fucking best here! It’s not my fault some idiot gave out precious intel!” 

“It  _ is  _ your fault! It’s your responsibility to manage your station and this god-forsaken city! One more incident, one more  _ tiny  _ leak, and your ass is outta here!” Mr. Jones screeched back, face as red as tomato as his fist came crashing down onto his desk hard enough to make everything on it tremble in fear. 

* * *

 

Humming to himself, he walked down the sidewalk, completely unperturbed. This always was the most exciting part of his day. Not everyone got to visit the police station on the daily, especially none of his friends! A big grin plastered itself onto his face as he headed towards the station in all its glory. Once inside, he sighed, the refreshing cool of the air conditioning wonderful against him. It was late April and the summer heat was fast approaching, and while he liked to revel in it outside as much as possible, sometimes it was nice to enjoy the cold too. Walking up to the counter, he placed his arms on top of it, heaving himself up to look at the lady behind the window. 

He smiled widely at her. “Gon Freecs. I’m here to see Leorio!” 

The woman smiled back at him, pressing a button on her desk, which he knew electronically opened the door to the rest of the station; he’d watched her do it so many times before. “Right on time! He just got back from his meeting with the mayor. I’ll let him know you’re here.” 

He jumped down from the counter, wiping himself off briefly. Then, he walked over to the door, pushing it open with all he had. It slammed shut behind him, making him jolt. When he realized no one else had witnessed it he moved forward through the many cubicles. The station was always loud with people talking, ringing phones, and fax machines beeping. He peeked his head around a few cubicles only to see either the stressed out or solemn faces of the other officers. He was a lot smaller than everyone else, so he was forced to maneuver around them as they rushed about doing this and that. He was so busy looking around a cubicle that someone almost tripped over him. 

“Sorry!” he exclaimed over his shoulder. 

They didn’t seem to hear him over the hustle and bustle. He kept walking past the cubicles until he came across some actual offices. He looked over to his left to see his friend, Kurapika. Jumping in place, he managed to catch the man’s attention through his window. He waved jubilantly, and Kurapika kindly returned the gesture with a small smile. Gon continued walking a short ways until he spotted his other friend at her desk. She was Leorio’s secretary. He dashed up to her, grinning. 

“Hello, Ms. Bisky!” 

The blonde woman smiled down at him, but placed her index finger to her lips. His mouth formed a tiny “o” when he realized she was on the phone. She shook her head at him before waving him on through to Leorio’s office. 

* * *

 

When he returned from the mayor’s office he was fuming. He hated being talked down to like that. He wasnn’t some fucking child. He knew how to do his damn job. He can’t help that the other dumbasses around here don’t know what they’re doing. He honestly had no clue as to who the leak could be. The loyalty and work ethic of his officers had been off the charts recently. He thought things were going pretty well up until today. The only corrupt person here was the goddamn mayor. Leorio almost believed Mr. Jones set him up. Maybe this was his way of getting rid of him. Perhaps he had learned too much of the mayor’s secrets, seen the skeletons in his closet, and made a mad dash with one of them. And now, the mayor’s only chance of getting it back was to shoot him in the back. 

He had been contemplating all of this while looking out his fourth story window. He liked watching the cars zip by and watching the hundreds of passerby milling about. It helped solidify his position here as the essential overseer of the city. It made him feel better to have a visual representation of that. Everything seemed so peaceful when he separated himself from it. 

It was at that moment, when his mood was beginning to lift, that his door opened. He twisted his body to look at who had entered the room. He beamed when he saw who it was. 

“Gon!” he gushed. 

The boy lifted his shoulders and smiled with his eyes closed, the epitome of innocence. With a laugh, Leorio rushed forward, forgetting his troubles, and snatched Gon up. The other yelled happily, arms wrapping around his neck. Leorio spun the child around, twirling him before plonking him down in the seat in front of his desk. Gon seemed breathless after all that excitement, cheeks flushed childishly. Leorio took a seat in his own office chair. 

“Hey, buddy? How have you been?” 

“I’m great!” the boy chimed. 

Leorio sighed with a smile. “At least someone’s happy…” 

Gon hummed in agreement. He swung his short legs under the chair while glancing around the room. After the pause, he asked, “Have you heard anything about my dad?” 

His smile faltered for a moment. That was the same question Gon asked every day when he came into the station. It was the only reason the boy came at all. Gon was an orphan, had been from birth. The poor thing was abandoned by his only family member, his father, soon after being born to an unknown mother. Ging Freecss was a notorious burglar and hitman. His crimes were small but numerous. There was a hefty bounty on his head. When Gon was born his father already had a bad reputation, so it was probably for the best he left the newborn at The Shepherd's Home for Children, one of the best foster homes in the city. He had learned all this from the woman working there who had found Gon after the youngster had paraded into his office a year ago, demanding answers about his father’s whereabouts. Leorio stilled recalled that day vividly, the brat shouting at the top of his lungs before breaking down into a cacophony of sobs. From then on, he was determined to help Gon, but Ging hadn’t been spotted in the city for months. 

Not wanting to crush the boy’s heart he said, “We’re actively working on the case.” 

Gon nodded, happy as can be. A small part of him felt guilty for lying to such a sweet child, but technically, it wasn’t really a lie. They were still hunting the boy’s father. 

“What have you been up to?” 

“Oh, you’re not gonna believe this,” he began as he recounted this morning’s events to the other. He ranted and raved about the rowdy protest and good ole Father Godwin. He threw in some mystical talk of the mysterious Magician, watching with mirth as Gon’s eyes seemed to sparkle with interest. It was good to get this shit off his chest and Gon was too young to be in cahoots with anybody. Who the hell is he going to tell except his little friends? 

After his story, the youngster was on the edge of his seat, hands gripping it tightly. He’d bent forward, completely invested in Leorio’s tale. When it was over Gon looked stupefied like that can’t be the end.   

His mouth opened and closed for a moment as he tried to collect his thoughts. “Do you think you’ll be able to catch him?” he spat out, big brown eyes hopeful. 

Leorio smirked, leaning back in his seat, arms behind his head. “I always do.”


	2. Cloudy Mind, Cloudy Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I've kept my promise and am proud to present you chapter 2! There's a bit more action in this one and a few things explained! We're one more day closer to the art reveal and I'm super stoked! As I said, I will be posting the art here as soon as it is shown to me. I believe you can do that...Might have to do some playing around, but I'll figure it out! Thank you for sticking with me on this journey! As I said in the last chapter, I really encourage you to look through the HxHBB17 tag on AO3 or follow the hxhbb17 Tumblr for all the latest updates on the fics and art! June 1st is the big reveal day and it's going to be awesome! An explosion of new fics and art for the HXH fandom and so close to when the manga is coming off hiatus as well! I highly recommend Madlymiho's BB fic and MissCherryBomb's as well~! I've edited both of theirs and they're phenomenal! 
> 
> Anyways, let's get to it~!

After Gon left, it was business as usual. He wasn’t called out anymore, so the remainder of the day was spent sifting through casework, trying to find leads. He delegated a few tasks to his squad of detectives. There were always plenty of murders to solve in Padokea; as soon as one was resolved, another one came flying in. He went through The Magician files himself, not trusting anyone else to pay as much attention as he would. It seemed like he was forming a personal vendetta against the crook.  _ He  _ wanted to be the one to decipher the creep’s puzzle and handcuff him once and for all. Homicides and robberies he could deal with, but an avant garde criminal was just too much for his weak eyes to stand. All this new age crap made his head spin. He didn’t care much for messages or epiphanies. The only realization he wanted to make was how to catch the bastards faster. 

It was a rather dull day after the fiery protest earlier. The station seemed to take on a languid atmosphere despite the urgency always present in everyone’s actions. He caught himself almost falling asleep a few times, but he managed to keep his eyes open until about 2am. At this point, he knew he had long overstayed his welcome at the station, so it was perfectly fine for him to thrust his chair into the desk and make his leave. The police department never closed, yet as police chief, he felt like it was his duty to stay as long as he could. It wasn’t like he had anything else in his life to keep him occupied. 

He locked up his office since Bisky had gone home hours ago. Strolling through the cubicles, he bid a couple officers farewell on his way out. He passed through the glass doors of the entrance finding his old truck easily considering most of the parking spaces were now empty. Even as a rookie he had had the arrogance to park right up front, and now that he had achieved the position of police chief, he felt it was his God given right to not have to trudge across the parking lot to his truck. He walked up to it, lovingly caressing the faded paint of the hood. He jerked the door open, climbing into the only car he had had his entire life. It had been his first car, the one his father bought him at the ripe age of 16. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but that didn’t matter. It got him where he needed to go, and he was done making payments on it. What more could he ask for? He was a firm believer in not fixing what wasn’t broken. 

The drive home was as uneventful as the afternoon had been. He lived a good 45 minutes away from the station, on the very outskirts of town. His closest neighbors lived a mile down the road and he liked that just fine. He spent all day rushing around the crowded, obnoxious city. He certainly didn’t want to come home to that same environment. His house isn’t the kind people expect. It’s a large decorative Victorian style home with two stories, four bedrooms, and a big ass porch to boot. Not to mention the dilapidated barn off to the side where he stored all his oddities. All together, he owned two acres of land, a hefty sum. The reason this isn’t what people expect from him is because he’s not married, never has been. He has no children and not a single pet. This humongous house and spacious yard all to himself. 

At one point or another, he had dreamed of having a family here someday. He would come home to a pretty little wife in an apron making dinner. There would be a few rugrats running around in the yard. He could come home to a loving and carefree atmosphere and drop all his problems off at the door. But, of course, life isn’t that  _ nice _ . She’s a bitch 24/7 and he had yet to catch her on one of her off days. His police career had stripped him of the family life, and while he knew he wasn’t  _ that  _ old, dating was a daunting task at this period in his life. He had long resigned to his fate of coming home to creaky floorboards. He has no one there for him at home at night when he needs it the most. 

He pulled up to his lonesome abode, slumping back in his seat after turning off the engine. There he stayed for a moment, enjoying the calm night sky. Out here, he could see the stars and moon clear as day, a small detail that couldn’t be appreciated in the city. Sometimes he liked to trick himself into believing that things were better this way. No wife to bitch at him. No kids to demand his constant attention. And, on peaceful nights like these, he could easily slip into the barn unquestionably to swallow a few of the tablets he kept locked away in there. 

That’s right, the big and bad police chief had to hide his shame away in the barn in an antique chest that took more strength than he had sometimes to open. His job isn’t easy. It takes more energy than Leorio has to keep the city running. As an officer, he had had innumerable sleepless nights. The quick and dirty fix had been sleeping pills. They worked like a charm, but he found himself needing more and more of the damned things in order to just fucking fall asleep at night. Eventually, he noticed that the pills not only helped him sleep but calmed his nerves after a trying work day and even gave him the energy to get more shit done. From then on, he had been doomed. The pills became his way of coping. They get him through another day, although the consequences of being an addict aren’t as sweet. He kept his secret from everyone, only coming out to the barn when he needs to and never when anyone else is around. He knows he has a problem, but sometimes he had to create a problem to fix one. 

* * *

Kurapika left the station a little bit before the chief. As one of the top detectives, he took his job very seriously. Any case that ended up on his desk was  _ solved _ . No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He was meticulous in his investigations. He never wanted to see the day where he let one get away. Of course, he had been hunting down the Phantom Troupe for years now, but they would get theirs in due time. It was all about patience and persistence. Kurapika believed in justice, believed that good would always triumph over evil. He lived to serve justice, and thus became one of the best damn detectives Padokea’s ever had. And, the best damn detective was obligated to stay well after midnight or so he believed. 

Other than the protest, things had been going fairly well for him. The Magician case was Leorio’s own pride and joy, so he  _ mostly  _ laid off of it; that didn’t stop him from going through the files when no one was looking. The afternoon had consisted of a few murders, but what’s new? All kinds of vermin made their homes in Padokea and they weren’t the type to scurry away from the light. Criminals walk amongst the civilians in droves here. Everyone has a secret and he was no exception. 

Kurapika’s house is a lot closer to the station than Leorio’s, about a 15 minute drive. He lived in the downtown area in a shabby, little row house. He was surrounded by people, which allowed him to easily fade into the background. He doesn’t have a fancy car or a big yard. No, he preferred to live modestly, not drawing any attention to himself whatsoever. Maybe it was paranoia because of his job, but he didn’t care. He liked his row house that blended in nicely with the identical homes beside him. He felt safe living next to so many people, but that’s not to say he was friendly. In fact, he was quite the opposite. The only person to ever step foot inside his house is him. Never before had he let another soul in, not even Leorio. His friend had asked numerous times to visit, but he always found some polite excuse as to why they needed to go to Leorio’s instead. It wasn’t because he craved solitude. He would love for the chief to come in, kick his shoes off, and down a couple of beers with him, but it was just impossible. Because, inside his quaint row house, out in plain view for anyone to behold, was the secret he so desperately kept under wraps. 

He pulled into his parallel parking spot off the side of the road, yawning as he turned the key. Even though they hadn’t done much today, he was still as tired as ever. Working for the police department was strenuous and not for the faint of heart, which was just one of the reasons why he loved what he did. The tired strain of his muscles and mind after a hard day relaxed him. By the time he got home, he was perfectly unwound, ready to scavenge up a late dinner, and then collapse onto his bed, asleep in an instant. The thought of doing just that made Kurapika hum lowly as he opened the car door. He walked up the few steps to his front door, automatically jamming the key in the lock and turning it. 

He stepped inside his dark home, stretching his arms above his head. It soon morphed into a full body stretch as he extended himself up on his tiptoes. He smacked his lips contently, reaching back to shut the door. Instead of heading down the hall towards the kitchen, he took an immediate right into what was supposed to be the study; however, he had this room refurbished when he bought the house. He rubbed his eyes as he walked into the room, the floorboards moaning beneath him. He blinked slowly before a small, warm smile etched itself onto his face. 

“I’m home,” he whispered to the dozens of scarlet eyes perpetually staring at him. 

There was no furniture in here. The floor was bare, but every wall except the front one was adorned with three shelves, which housed jars upon jars of dismembered eyeballs. Each jar contained a pair, floating sluggishly in a clear chemical meant for preservation. The red of their irises gleamed in the dim light of the room. 

Kurapika sighed happily, almost dreamily, as their gazes landed on him. This was his safe haven, the one place in the world where he was completely at ease. He knew no one else would understand. That’s why he couldn’t allow anyone to step foot into his home. He refused to hide his treasures. He  _ needed  _ them out on display, needed to feel their comforting stare. He moved forward to the jar in the very center, watching as the pair of eyes within rolled about slowly. His mouth was agape, a silent gasp escaping him, as he raised a shaky hand to the glass of the jar. As soon as the pads of his fingers were struck by the cool exterior, he melted. He pressed his whole hand against the glass, body flush against the shelves. His fingers affectionately stroked the jar with a reverence akin to that of a lover. 

“Just a few more...just a few more…” 

* * *

“You guys, wait up!” 

Gon skidded around the corner of the corridor, smiling to the tips of his ears as he ran to catch up with his friends. It was close to bedtime, so they were all barrelling towards their rooms. Gon followed behind somewhat slowly, extremely tired. He had had a busy day today filled with school, talking to Leorio at the station, and playing with his friends, all the things a kid like him needed to do. Even though he was an orphan he still had all the opportunities a regular kid would. He was thankful every day of his life that had been dropped off here in one of the better parts of town. He already knew the dangers of the city’s districts at the age of 12, but he tried not to think about what  _ could  _ have happened. 

Giggling like mad, he tumbled into his room. It wasn’t really  _ his  _ room since he shared it with nine other children, but he had his own bed and footlocker. It was his space amongst all their shared amenities. He hopped into his bed, jumping on the worn-out mattress with his knees. He watched as the rest of his roommates filed in, scrambling into their own cots. He waved to all of them, still smiling brightly. 

He lived in a foster home and he had been here all his life. He was abandoned here at just a few weeks old by his father, Ging. His mother had died during his birth, and with no other living relatives, he was forced to remain at the foster home. He knew his father was alive and well considering he was on the news often when Gon was younger. He assumed his father had left him here because he didn’t want his son to be in the crosshairs of his risky criminal lifestyle. As the years went on, he had been in and out of homes with foster parents, but they always brought him back. It wasn’t because he had done anything wrong, it was just that most of them already had a lot of foster children and some of them could only afford to keep him for a short period of time. He was forever grateful to them and occasionally wrote all his previous foster parents letters to keep in touch. He had now been back at the foster home for six months, awaiting his turn to be placed back into a home. It was nerve-wracking to see the kids around him come and go especially since some of them never came back. It was at times like these when he wished his father would return for him, the reason he had hope that they would be reunited despite his delinquent background. 

Once everyone was tucked in, one of the attendants came by, a lady in white garments complete with a headdress. Gon had asked about this attire, which only some of the caregivers wore, many a time when he was little. He learned that a some of the caregivers were nuns volunteering from a church down the road. Deeply devout Christians, they wore this type of clothing to show how dedicated they were to God. Growing up surrounded by them, Gon learned to respect them and he held the same regard for God. One of his only possessions was a thick leather Bible one of them had given him for his seventh birthday. He read parts of it every day, repeating his daily Psalms. He felt better knowing that  _ someone  _ was watching over him. 

The woman cut off the lights, a whispered and kind, “Good night,” uttered from her lips. 

Gon laid back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, wide awake. He pulled the cover closer, but he did not try to fall asleep. Instead, he turned his head to the side, watching the gentle moonlight stream in through the window beside him. He waited a few more moments, listening to his roommate's breathing. When he was sure that everyone was asleep he quietly rose from his bed. Pulling the cover off, he swung his legs over the side of the cot. He fell to his knees next to his bed, hands clasping each other as he bowed his head. 

“Dear God, thank you for this blessed day. Thank you for all the smiles, the food on my plate, and the roof over my head. Watch over my roommates, foster parents, caregivers, and all my friends at the police station. They deserve all you have to offer.” He took in a deep breath. “Please let my father be safe wherever he is out there. Make sure he has something to eat and that he’s not too lonely. And please,” he begged, gazing up at the ceiling with glossy eyes, “let him come and get me soon.” 

* * *

Forcing the balcony doors open, Illumi stepped through a moment after, the ornate wood trembling from his force and the small gust of wind blowing towards them. Illumi’s hair billowed behind him as he walked onto the balcony into the cool night air. His face remained stoic as always, giving away nothing, but an agitation lied in his movements. He walked up to the balcony railing, gripping it firmly as he hunched over it. He looked out at the expanse of family land, trimmed and proper. It was all a facade, wasn’t it? He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose. 

All was quiet out on the balcony, even the subtle droning of the occasional cricket or beetle couldn’t be heard. The wind had died down, leaving Illumi alone with his thoughts. He gazed out over the rolling greenery of their acreage, relaxed for a moment, when abruptly it was taken away as he heard creaking from behind him. He was instantly on the defensive, whipping around, long hair flying over his shoulder. While turning he had reached down into his pants, pulling out the 10mm he had on hand. The balcony doors had stayed open thanks to the way he flung them, so he stared down the barrel into the empty library. He stayed rigid, not letting his guard down until he saw a shadow around the bend of a bookshelf. He visibly relaxed, dropping his stance, and aimed the gun at the ground. 

“How long have you been there?” 

He heard a low chuckle before the perpetrator spoke. “Long enough~,” he answered sinisterly. Illumi rolled his eyes and turned back to the balcony. 

Hisoka stepped out of the shadows, card in between his fingers. There was a curvy grin on his lips as he looked out at his partner. Hisoka’s outfit was littered with splashes of dried blood, the card in hand dirty from it as well. He appeared unperturbed by this fact and was so bold as to lick the card he held as he moved forward until he was right behind Illumi. 

“The deed you asked of me is done~.” 

“And, did you follow orders this time?” 

Hisoka hummed. “More or less~.” 

Illumi sighed heavily, head sinking between his shoulders as he rested over the railing. Hisoka frowned, eyeing the other warily. He flicked the soiled card over the balcony, his arms reaching out to encircle around Illumi’s waist. 

“What’s wrong, baby? What’s got you so down?” he asked sounding genuinely concerned. 

“It’s nothing,” he lied through his teeth as visions of their plan failing filtered through his mind. They have so much at stake. He doesn’t want this to fall through. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if things don’t go the way they want them to. “Let’s just go to bed,” he said, turning around in Hisoka’s arms. That’s when he noticed the blood on Hisoka’s outfit. 

He pushed him away violently, scowling. “What is wrong with you?! Go clean yourself off!” 

Hisoka laughed madly, turning around to head towards the bathroom. As he continued through the library though he couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety. Illumi had looked worried. He won’t pry. Illumi was a big boy and he knew how to deal with his own problems. He’ll forget about it for now. He doesn’t want to agonize over the unknown. He knew Illumi would be okay. 

* * *

An ear-piercing, shrill tone woke him up. His eyes fluttered open, vision swimming. His head felt like it was full of cotton and the harsh ray of light streaming in down on him wasn’t fucking helping. He groaned, snapping up to dig into his pocket for his phone; he recognized the high-pitched sound as his ringtone. He doesn’t even check the number as he brought the phone up to his ear. 

“Hello?” he almost slurred, still groggy. 

He looked around trying to remember what happened last night. He wasn’t in his bedroom considering he was lying on the hard floor. The light bothering him stemmed from the giant window near the roof of the barn. He blinked, glancing down at himself. He was still in yesterday’s clothes, his work uniform which consisted of an undershirt and a three-piece navy suit and tie. Near his leg, laid the culprit of his predicament: an empty pill bottle. Gaze shifting, he noticed the chest off to the side was still wide open too. He irritatedly rubbed at his face, listening to the woman on the phone. 

“Mr. Paladiknight there’s been a suicide at 233 Woodlawn Drive. We need you here immediately.” 

He must have passed out pretty hard to spend the night on the barn floor. He stood as the woman spoke, stretching before reassuring her that he’d be right there. He clicked the “end call” button, yawning loudly. He staggered, a bit dizzy from the pills, but his anxiety has been eased. He felt like a fool for laying out in the barn like that, but at least no one was around to see him. Deciding that yesterday’s clothes were good enough, he headed out of the barn and towards his truck. 

When he climbed in it and started up the engine he noticed the time on the dashboard clock. It was 5:04am, early even for a police chief. He whistled lowly, slamming his door shut. The only reason he’d be called out to a suicide is if it pertained to him or police business. That or the idiots down at the scene couldn’t figure out what happened. He sighed exasperatedly as he backed out of his driveway. 

By the time he got to the address, his head felt a little bit better though he was still groggy. The early morning sun seemed to mock him on the drive up here, constantly burning out his scleras. The home in question had been blocked off, police cars scattered about the lawn. He parked a ways down the street to avoid being trapped in the heap of cruisers. Some officers spotted him as he walked up the road. They let him through the caution tape, and he was surprised there weren’t any reporters trying to swindle their way through. It might be 5am, but the press never sleeps. They’ll be here soon enough.  

The officers who spotted him follow him up the yard trying to catch him up to speed on what happened, but his head was too mushy to make sense of their jumbled speech. He ignored them when he saw Kurapika stepping out of the house. His friend’s face was contorted: scrunched eyebrows, pursed lips, and his hands in his pockets. Leorio picked up his pace, wanting his top detective to give him a simple run-down of the scene. 

He approached the other smoothly. “What happened?” 

He looked up at Leorio solemnly. “A detective was murdered, Aiden Yourdon. I wasn’t close to him, but I knew him. He was a good detective. He had a family,  _ kids _ -” 

“Get to the point, Kurapika.” 

He coughed, averting his gaze from Leorio. “Whoever did it tried to set it up as a suicide, but I know it’s a murder. The note is so sloppy and I don’t even think the weapon is his.” 

“Has it been proven this was a murder?”

Kurapika sputtered. “Well, no, but _ I’ll  _ prove it.” 

Leorio sighed. Kurapika was always getting ahead of himself. He got way too attached to cases, too emotional. He was always looking to administer justice, blinded by his overbearing moral compass. The chief of police has long given up on  _ justice _ . 

“Anything else?” 

“This isn’t the first one. Somebody’s going around killing officials. The first kill was about three months back, the city clerk. Then, one of the city prosecutor's deputies was murdered a month ago.” Kurapika looked around, eyes glued across the street. Leorio turned around, clicking his tongue as saw a couple of news vans beginning to park on the other side of the road. Kurapika leaned in, Leorio slumping down to hear him. “Word’s gotten around that there’s a serial killer on our hands, killing corrupt officials. All of these guys had some kind of scandal pop up. You may have to have a press conference soon…” 

“Shit!” If there was anything Leorio hated, it was a press conference. The press was one big hive mind. A ravenous hoard looking to gobble up any bit of information they could, and then twist it into something it wasn’t. He’ll have to familiarize himself with the details back at the station. “Thanks for the heads-up.” 

Kurapika nodded as Leorio walked past him to check out the scene and oversee the operation. He doesn’t have to walk far because the man in question was laying face down in a pool of blood near the living room entrance. The weapon, a small pistol, was next to him by his outstretched hand. Two crime scene investigators were huddled around the body, one snapping pictures while the other collected a sample of the blood. He turned his attention to the living room where someone else was taking pictures of a note on the coffee table, presumably the suicide note. 

He waited until the scene was completely packed up before leaving. He was called out, so he might as well make sure everything goes off without a cinch. When Leorio does head out, however, his eyes widened at the flock of reporters now foaming at the mouth behind the police tape. He grumbled, walking across the yard with vicious, determined steps. As soon as he ducked under the tape, they bombarded him, asking him what happened and if this has any connection to the other murders. He realized he had to give them something to keep them at bay, so he stopped in the middle of the hoard, turning to the nearest microphone being shoved in his face. 

“I can’t give any details at the moment, but there will be a press conference soon.” 

His simple answer only served to throw them into a frenzy. He swore he saw one man jumping to get to him. But, he evaded the rest of their questions, scurrying back to his truck down the street. Thank god he parked where he did because he really needed to get the hell out of here! When he got back to the safety of his truck, he cursed, collapsing back into the seat. He doesn’t wait too long, knowing fully well the bastards will knock on his car window and put their grubby mitts all over his hood. The engine started up with a whirr before he yanked the steering wheel to the right, making a U-turn towards the station. He slammed his foot on the gas when he straightened. 

He was back at the police department pretty quick without speeding; Yourdon lived close by. He pulled into his usual parking spot  _ up front _ , and then marched himself inside hoping to avoid any more press confrontations until he absolutely had to. They had completely ruined his mood, his head now pulsing despite his weariness. As he walked through the cubicles everyone avoided him, knowing the look on his face spelt trouble for anyone dumb enough to approach him. He finally found himself in his office, huffing as he shut the door. The new case files were already laying on his desk, crisp and proper. He plopped himself down in his chair and set to work reading over these serial killings, if it could even be called that at this point. 

Soon enough though, his office phone rung. His head popped up, glancing at his secretary’s desk. It was still fairly early, so her desk was unoccupied. He smacked his lips, snatching up the phone, not knowing who in the world it could be. As he brought it to his ear, he saw Ms. Bisky sauntered up, expensive pocketbook clutched to her side. 

“What the hell are you doing, Paladiknight?!” Mr. Jones screeched into his ear, making him pull the phone back as he winced. “We’ve got a serial killer on our hands and you’re sitting on your ass! Set up a press conference for tomorrow morning  _ now _ !” 

“Yes, sir,” he grumbled before hanging up. He was not in the mood for the mayor’s bullshit. There was no reason to argue with the man anyways. Leorio knew what had to be done, but that didn’t mean he  _ wanted  _ to do it. 

He spent a little while longer reading over the case files scrupulously, looking for clues. He had a feeling that Kurapika already found a lead, but he might as well familiarize himself. After a thorough review, the only connection he saw that the victims had were to the mayor. Each of them had had a scandal pop up before they were murdered ranging from embezzlement to burying of evidence in the case of Aiden Yourdon. There was no way he could let this get out to the public. They’ll have a field day with this, and then the mayor will be on his ass. He pulled out a pen and notepad to jot down a few things, sighing. The fucking city was bustling what with The Magician, this serial killer, the Phantom Troupe, and all the other low profile crimes in Padokea hanging over his head. He just hoped it all blowed over soon. 

Believing he deserved a break, he walked out of his office, leaving the case files and his own notes strewn about. He pulled his arms up over his head, stretching before he leaned across Ms. Bisky’s desk in order to have her set up a press conference for tomorrow morning at 10am. As they conversed about this and that, his favorite person in the world strolled up: Gon. 

Leorio smiled warmly at him when the boy came up to the desk. “Hey, champ! Go wait in my office. I’ll be in there in just a sec.” 

Gon hummed happily, nodding. Leorio watched him go in, but then turned his attention back to Ms. Bisky as they continued setting up the dreaded press conference. He can already see it: the flashing lights, the numerous questions, his own stuttered out answers. He shivered at the thought as he headed back into his office where Gon was waiting patiently. 

“How ya doing, little buddy?” he asked enthusiastically, attempting to bring up his own mood as well. 

Gon snickered at him. “I’m good. We played soccer in the park yesterday!” 

“Really? Anything going on today?” he questioned as he sat back down in his own chair. 

“Maybe. Mrs. Abernathy said she was going to try and bring us some more board games to play with.” 

“That sounds fun!” 

The boy hummed again, gaze drifting as he seemed to think something over. He blinked before honing back in on Leorio. “Have you heard anything about my father?” 

There it is, the real reason Gon visited him every day. It was getting harder to lie to him, but he chuckled. “I’m sure something will come up soon. Everything else seems to be hitting the fan at once.”  

“I sure hope so! I’ll leave you to it, police chief!” Gon said, saluting him with a grin. 

He laughed at the child’s antics, watching him walk away as happy as could be. Once he left, Leorio looked back down at his desk. That’s funny...He swore he left his own notes right on top. Digging a bit, he found his notes buried underneath some of the case files. He shook his head, chalking the mishap up to stress and a worsening memory. 

* * *

 

He got home a little bit earlier around 1am. He had plenty of cases to work on, but no leads. The Magician had vanished after the protest as usual. Most of the detectives were working on the serial killer case, analyzing all the evidence they had gathered at the crime scene. Kurapika was still hunting down the Phantom Troupe, but what’s new? With not much to do, he decided to pack up early. He felt like he deserved it considering he showed up to work at the crack of dawn, doped up on sleeping tablets. It wasn’t his shining moment for sure. 

After coming home, he made himself one of the frozen over microwave meals in the freezer, gulping it down right there on the kitchen counter like some kind of animal. He didn’t have a wife to feed him, so why not act like a pig? He was exhausted; he didn’t have time to make a proper meal and eat it eloquently. He changed out of his nasty attire that he had been wearing for two days now, slipping on an old T-shirt and sweatpants. He had been about to head up the stairs to catch some much needed Z’s when his doorbell rang. 

Who the hell would be ringing his doorbell at 1 in the morning? It wasn’t like his house was all that accessible. Suspicious, he lightly turned on his heel towards the door. He took careful steps towards the entrance. Before he opened the door, he stopped by the nightstand close to it. Stashed in the top drawer was his own personal semiautomatic Glock. He pulled the magazine release, making sure the damn thing was still loaded; he sometimes stole bullets from himself, putting them in different weapons around the house. He didn’t have any kids, so what did it matter? He shoved the magazine back in, stuffing the Glock into the hem of his boxers. 

He took a deep breath, then pulled the door open halfway, keeping most of his body behind it. His hand gripped the Glock, but he deflated once he saw who was actually at the door. Kurapika stood on his porch, an unopened case of beer in hand. His top detective raised a brow at him, eyeing the side of his body hidden behind the door. 

He frowned. “Worried about something?” he asked, gesturing towards his weapon with his free hand. 

Leorio chuckled, pulling the Glock out of his pants to show the other. He shook his head, stepping back to put the gun away. He placed it gently back into the drawer before slamming it closed. “Never let your guard down,” he responded as he walked back to the door. 

“Can you let it down for a few minutes to have a beer?” Kurapika asked, holding up the case. 

He grinned, stepping out onto the porch. “Hell yeah. Pop it open!” 

The two of them went to sit on his front steps, the case of beer separating them. Kurapika broke open the box, allowing them to each pull out a can. They cracked them open simultaneously, laughing softly together. Kurapika was the heavy drinker between the two of them. Leorio thought he was an alcoholic, but there was no way to know for sure because the other won’t say anything about it; he’ll just drink until he passes out. He’ll be alright on his porch though. Leorio makes sure he doesn’t over do it. He took a sip of beer, the bitter sting assaulting his throat just the way he liked it. He knew Kurapika came here for a reason other than to chug a few beers, but he’ll let the detective do the talking. It was quiet for a long time, the only thing filling up the silence being the crickets chirping in his yard, the only thing someone can hear out in the middle of nowhere. 

Eventually, Kurapika opened up after downing most of his beverage. “How do you do the right thing?” he asked pensively.  

A deep and philosophical question wasn’t exactly what he expected, but he’ll play along. The beer muddled his mind, made things seem clearer. “Why do you ask?” 

There was another stretch of silence as even the crickets wait for the other to answer. Kurapika hung his head between his knees, a dark shadow covering most of his face. He gyrated the beer can in his hand, the little sip left sloshing against the sides. “Do you remember back when we were in the Academy together? You had such a drive back then.” He chuckled. “I really looked up to you! There was no doubt in my mind that you would be the police chief back then.” 

“Flattery’s overrated.” He shrugged, wiggling his own can in hand. 

“It’s not flattery, if you deserve it.” He took his final sip of beer, slamming his empty can down onto the porch. The metallic ping echoed into the night. He grabbed another. “Do you remember what you always used to say?” 

Leorio let out a harsh bark of laughter. “I barely remember what I did yesterday.” 

Kurapika doesn’t speak, the awkwardness of the situation settling in. He doesn’t know what the man was trying to get at. He came out in the dead of night to get wasted not enlighten someone. Leorio took a sip of his somewhat forgotten beer to distract himself. 

“You said that, in order to be human, we had to keep doing the right thing. And, that the right thing is whatever we believe in wholeheartedly,” Kurapika suddenly explained, shattering the weird atmosphere. 

He scoffed. “I said that shit?” 

“But, what if what we believe in, isn’t the right thing? Then, what? How do we do what’s right?” He almost gasped, hands moving wildly out in front of him as he spoke, big eyes staring into the distance. 

Leorio sighed. His head was too cloudy for this. Drunken bastards don’t answer moral questions out on the porch. Besides, he doesn’t think the way he used to anymore. When he was in the Academy he had high hopes and dreams of changing this city. Now, he saw it for the cesspool it really was. He was lucky to even get through a day anymore especially without his  _ prescription  _ out back. But, Kurapika has been his best friend since the Academy. He can’t let him stew like this. 

“You just have to grow a pair and fucking do it.” His words echoed around them like the ping of Kurapika crashing his can on the porch. They both remained frozen for a second, his harsh words playing around inside their heads. Finally, Kurapika moved to gulp down his second beer. 

Leorio noticed his narrowed eyes, the way he gazed out at the horizon like it had fucked his wife and come back to brag about it. “What’s up with you? Did something happen?” 

Kurapika doesn’t look away from the horizon. “No, but I feel like something’s coming, and I’m not sure if I can do the right thing when it does.” 

* * *

Somewhere in the deep recesses of Padokea, a clan of people had gathered together. He watched over them, stone cold eyes calculating. They bickered amongst themselves, outspoken voices growing in volume before he caught their attention. 

“As you all know, a grand auction is taking place in the city tomorrow night.” 

“What are we going after?” 

“How many people we talkin’?” 

“None of that shit matters! Just who do I get to kill?!” 

He let them bombard him with questions, hands tucked into his jacket as he listened to their pleas. He only spoke again when they were finished. “We’re going to take it  _ all _ ,” he announced, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

They stared up at him in awe, the strongest one of them stepping up. “How are we supposed to do that?”

His grey eyes gleamed with a sudden tenacity, smile stretching. It sent shivers through each of them. “By killing everyone in sight.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Some of our trigger warnings are coming into play in this and it'll only get worse from here lemme tell you. Turn back now if this isn't your cup of tea! I really enjoy this chapter particularly the scene with Leorio and Kurapika on the porch. As I said in the first chapter, this fic was heavily inspired by the video game "This is the Police". There is a scene in the game where the police chief, Jack Boyd, is talking to his old FBI buddy on the front steps of his porch as they drink down a few beers. When I first saw that scene I was so awed by the narration. It felt so natural, so surreal, and so dramatic all at the same time. While the conversation Leorio and Kurapika share is pretty different from theirs, I sincerely hope I captured that feeling here! I watched it enough times to have a pretty good idea of it, haha! 
> 
> As always my writing requests are open on Tumblr. I do most kinks, so if you want something more explicit I'll be more than welcome to do it! The only thing I'm asking you to do now is make sure I have some way to contact you about your request because I've been having some issues that I won't get into here. But, don't be shy! I promise I don't bite~.
> 
> My Tumblr is yaoiobsessedwrites. It is labeled as an 18+ blog simply because I do reblog NSFW posts, so if you have trouble finding it on mobile that's why. Feel free to message me on my Tumblr! I'm always willing to talk to people about pretty much anything. You can also send me prompts or ask questions! I promise I'm not scary! I also take drabble requests, so just send me a message and I'd be happy to write you something!
> 
> My writing Tumblr is supahimagery. Feel free to message me here as well! Shoot me an ask if you have any writing questions or simply want some advice! I'm always more than willing to help. It's why I created this blog! It's not just for FanFiction either! Feel free to ask me questions pertaining to essay writing, editing, and/or about original works!
> 
> If you have any questions about my writing or would like to see something specific, email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com! 
> 
> I do have a FanFiction account as well. It's under the same penname. Some of the fics on there are pretty old though, so here's your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Mounting Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome everyone to chapter 3! It feels so weird to keep posting so much, but the whole fic has to be up by June 1st! Having a multi-chaptered fic is so exciting! I will definitely work on another one at some point over the summer because while it's a lot of work it's also a lot of fun. This chapter is my second favorite one, the first one will be chapter 4~, as it was a lot of fun to write! I got so into during a certain part, which I'm sure will be clear once you read it! 
> 
> Onto the show~!

With their little philosophical discussion out of the way, Leorio let Kurapika drive himself home despite how wasted he was. He knew the man could hold down his beer a lot better than he could. And, he knew for a fact that Kurapika had driven home drunk thousands of times before, usually after downing a few more beers and some whiskey to boot. 

He watched the other stagger his way off the porch, his own half empty beer case in hand. “Drive slow! And for the love of god, don’t get caught!” 

Kurapika shot him a thumbs-up as he made his way down the lawn towards his car. Leorio yawned, turning back to his house. His mind was now completely lax, ready to fall back into his bed and knock out. He went inside, trudging up the stairs. His head swam as he continued on, a million things coming to mind. The biggest concern he had though was the press conference looming over him. He groaned when he thought about having to answer all those pretentious reporters. He hated putting on a fake smile and giving as little information as he could slip by them. It made his stomach churn and he often worried about letting his mouth run and accidentally giving up something important; the press didn’t need to know everything like how the serial killings were all connected to the mayor. 

He stumbled into his bedroom, the gears in his head now spinning out of control. He rubbed at his face, knees hitting the edge of the bed. He fell face first into the comfy duvet, snuggling into it as he let all his troubles fade from mind. He’d worry about it in the morning. 

* * *

He woke up the next morning right on time, practically crushing the alarm as he cut off its blaring tune. He pushed himself deeper into his pillow, griping about having to get up. He had had a good night’s sleep even though he had been fretting about the press conference today. However, thinking about it made him woozy, weak with anxiety. He pulled himself up from the bed with one arm, using the other to open the drawer of the nightstand. He fished around for that blessed bottle, clutching it tightly as he yanked it out. He cracked the top off, then shook four pills into his awaiting palm. He downed them quickly without anything to drink; he’d done it plenty of times before. 

With the pills taken, he knew his anxiety would settle sooner or later. He lifted himself up and out of bed to get breakfast started. He would need an actual meal to start this horrendous day. He made himself eggs and toast, nothing fancy, but good enough for him. As he sat at the kitchen table eating, he looked over the files he had brought home with him. They were the most important out of the serial killer case and he needed them to refresh his withered memory. He recited the information over and over to himself as he drove towards the station. 

When he arrived at work it was almost 9am, just an hour until judgment rained down upon him. As he pulled in, he noticed their vans sitting ominously at the opposite end of the parking lot. He gripped his steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white, taking a couple deep breaths. Then, he let it all out in one giant exhale. He climbed out of his truck and headed inside. By then, the pills had already taken their effect, his stomach ceasing to wrench as much, but even the tablets couldn’t stop the wave of anxiety that hit him when he walked in. There were already some reporters milling about, testing their microphones and being escorted to the press room. He ducked his head, quickly making his way back to his office. He certainly didn’t want these cretins talking to him  _ before  _ the fucking press conference. He had set this whole thing up to avoid that! 

He managed to stay locked inside his office until ten minutes till. He gulped as he stepped outside his office, Ms. Bisky wishing him luck; he was going to need it. He regretted not taking a few more sleeping pills beforehand. His anxiety was through the roof: heart pounding, sharp vision, and sweaty palms. He stood outside the press room waiting to be called in. His foot tapped the ground nervously as he listened to the announcer drone on. Finally, he was called in, a round of applause swelling up. He straightened his tie and walked right into the belly of the beast. 

When he stepped up to the podium the applause died down. He looked out into the sea of vultures, each one equipped with pen and paper, their questions already thought out, rebuttals waiting. Multiple cameras and microphones were shoved in his face, the constant snapping of the cameras in the back already getting on his last nerve. Despite everything, he flashed them a toothy grin, looking for all the world as happy as could be. 

“Good morning, everyone. As you all know, my name is Leorio Paladiknight and I am the police chief of Padokea. I have assembled this press conference today in light of recent events. Yesterday morning at 4:13am, Aiden Yourdon, a remarkable detective, was found dead in his home. The first responder believed it to be a suicide considering the note left and the gun found in the victim’s hand, but this was not the case. Further analysis of the note and weapon have lead us to believe that someone else killed Mr. Yourdon and attempted to frame it as a suicide. This is not the first murdered official as Julie Cui, the city clerk, and Peter Bronski, one of the city prosecutor's duties, were murdered in the same fashion a few months back. This leads us to believe that we have a serial killer on our hands, one the media has dubbed “The Morning Butcher”. At this time, this is all the information I can provide. Are there any questions?” 

That in itself was a stupid question. The press always had questions, it was what they were made of. They lived and breathed off his answers, hurriedly scribbling in their notepads as he fumbled around for a proper response. The first few were pretty easy, standard. They wanted more details on the Yourdon murder, which he wasn’t at liberty to give. He threw them off with some bullshit he couldn’t even remember if they asked him. He seemed to appease the crowd, answering questions left and right. He started to feel pretty good about himself. What had he been worried about? This was easy peasy, standard police work. He had nothing to fear...until he did. 

Towards the end, he called on a bitchy-looking woman dressed in blue. She stood, scowl morphing her powdered countenance. “Are these killings connected to the mayor?” 

He had to do a double take on that. “Could you repeat the question?” 

She said it again clear as day, the one thing they were supposed to keep under wraps. Maybe she was a hotshot reporter, trying to make her mark and go the extra mile by doing some digging herself. It wasn’t hard to figure out the mayor was involved in this, if someone put in the time and effort as he had. But, somehow, he just couldn’t believe that. He pretended to cough, buying himself some more time. There was no way he could answer that question, but he had to say something. 

“No comment.” 

_ Smooth, real smooth.  _

At the podium, he looked as calm and collected as could be, but on the inside he was breaking down. How had that woman found out about the sole connection? Was there a leak in his department? It had happened earlier this week too with the protest. He snapped out of his thoughts, coming back to reality. He still had a press conference to get through. He called on a man this time. 

“Was the murder this morning The Morning Butcher’s doing?” 

It took all his self control to not openly gape at the man. What murder? He had no idea there was a murder this morning! Even though he took four sleeping pills earlier, he became antsy, knees shaking under the podium. He was nervous on the outside, but on the inside, he was fuming. 

“We’re currently working on the case and we’ll have more details later,” he said, lying through his teeth. “No further questions,” he remarked, gesturing dismissively towards the crowd of reporters. 

At his departure, most of them stood, an uproar following them as they shouted out their unanswered questions. He ignored them, not wanting any more curve balls thrown his way. He’s had enough. The press conference should get the mayor off his back and keep the media at bay... _ for now _ . He rushed out of the press room, all his anxiety replaced by anger. Who the fuck told the press about the mayor and why the hell didn’t anybody tell him about the murder this morning? He felt like he was about to blow a gasket, and there was only one person he could turn to at a time like this. 

He marched down the hall towards his office looking like a mad bull. Officers, assistants, and interns alike jumped out of his way, wanting to avoid a confrontation if at all possible. He made an immediate left right before his office, stomping his way over to Kurapika’s. He almost made a secretary spill her coffee as he stormed by. He pulled the door open wide, stepping inside, and then slammed the damn thing shut. He felt incredibly hot, teeth grinding. His palms rose up to his head, pushing in on his skull as he stifled a scream. He began pacing back and forth in Kurapika’s office, the aforementioned man sitting at his desk on his laptop completely unperturbed by the scene in front of him. He didn’t even look up at Leorio. 

“Can I help you, Mr. Police Chief?” he asked sarcastically, glancing up at him. 

Leorio stopped his pacing to speak. “Somehow the press got a hold of sensitive information. They know the victims are connected to the mayor. And also, what the fuck is this I hear about some murder this morning?!” he practically screeched, hands flying every which way. 

The office was quiet after his outburst. The only sounds were Leorio’s heavy breathing and Kurapika’s fingers tapping away at his keyboard. He finally finished whatever he was working on, and then slowly looked up at Leorio. He blinked, folding his hands, elbows on the desk. 

“The murder this morning was the CEO of a small, booming business, Garrett Schryer. No connection with the mayor. He was killed with what appear to be needles. It looks like your typical Zoldyck assassination.” 

Kurapika’s calm words left him feeling much better. He was also glad this murder had nothing to do with The Morning Butcher. The press would eat him alive. 

Leorio inhaled deeply, and then let it out, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You’re positive?” 

“100%,” Kurapika reassured before going back to his laptop. 

He sighed, nodding to himself. He left Kurapika to his work, walking out of his office in strides as if he hadn’t just had a short mental breakdown. The people in the office could breath again seeing as the chief had been mellowed out. Leorio went back to his office, massaging his temples as he walked through the doorway. He glanced up, surprised to see a boxed cake and present on his desk. He smiled a bit, thinking it was for him because he goddamn deserved some kind of token of appreciation at this point. 

He advanced towards his desk, lifting up the cake box lid when he got there. He quickly figured out the cake wasn’t for him seeing as it read, “Happy 13th Birthday, Gon!”. The cake was dinosaur-themed. The surface was dark green icing meant to look like tree tops and jungle. There was a volcano in the upper left corner that was in the process of erupting as red and orange icing spewed down the side. The red icing was on some of the green and “Happy 13th Birthday, Gon!” was written in red icing like the lava was spelling it. There were dinosaur figures here and there with candles “1” and “3” right above the words. It was a beautiful cake, one Leorio knew Gon would love. In all the excitement, he had forgotten that today was the boy’s birthday. He then recognized the present seeing as he wrapped it himself about a week ago. It was a dinosaur toy that moved and talked, acting like a guard dog. It matched perfectly with the cake, but Leorio didn’t remember ordering a cake. 

He closed the lid to the box, spotting the sticky note on it. He snatched it up, reading, “From Kurapika and Bisky. Don’t forget about him!” Leorio chuckled, moving the stuff to the side. If nothing major happened, he’d leave early to deliver the cake and gift. 

Even with this morning’s murder, the rest of the day was as slow as ever. There were still no new leads on any of the cases. It’s just been a slow week. Maybe they’ll have better luck next time. His favorite person, The Magician, hasn’t been talking. He flipped through the files for the hell of it, but nothing new jumped out at him. He took a small lunch break, heading across the street to the sub shop. He brought his lunch back with him, hoping to catch his press conference on TV considering it was almost 1pm now. He switched on the portable TV off to the right of his desk. He kicked his feet up, unwrapping his sub as a commercial ended. When the news did come on it was not his press conference they were talking about. 

“Live on the scene is Cherry Champlin. Cherry.” 

They went to the scene where there were at least a dozen reporters swarming the notorious Silva Zoldyck. Leorio almost choked on his food. They looked like they were outside a courthouse, catching the man as he came out. 

“Mr. Zoldyck, what do you make of the accusations brought down onto your family?” 

“Is your family involved in the underworld?” 

“Does your business do explicit, under the table dealings?” 

“Mr. Zoldyck, what is your relationship to the mayor?” 

The press assaulted the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Silva was a wealthy businessman, but Leorio knew he only thrived by taking out the competition. The family also had ties to the mayor, he was sure. The two together were a nasty bunch capable of all sorts of corrupt endeavors. Leorio knew for a fact that the whole family was a part of the underworld. Silva was the ring leader. Each member of the family had been involved in some sort of murder trial including the 10 year old like it was some sort of rite of passage. But, every time, there was never enough evidence to convict them. The family usually killed off any neigh-sayers or didn’t leave any evidence in the first place, but that was all Leorio’s opinion; he can’t say that on record. If there was ever an unsolved murder case though, the media instantly pointed to the Zoldycks. 

Silva attempted to dismiss the reporters, but they were persistent like rabid animals. Eventually, he realized he was trapped, and so he left them with a short comment. 

“My family is of the highest moral standards. We would not deal with such filth as those in the underworld.”

“Bullshit,” Leorio drew out through a bite of his sandwich as he watched. 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend.” Then, the devil of Padokea himself, climbed into his luxurious limousine, leaving the mass of agitated reporters to fight amongst themselves. 

Leorio scoffed, offended by even seeing the man’s face. The only time he wanted to see Silva Zoldyck’s mug was behind bars or maybe strapped down in the electric chair. He continued watching the news, raptly paying attention when they mentioned his press conference. He was on the edge of his seat, waiting for them to say something awful about his performance, but it never came. He sat back in his chair as they switched stories, satisfied that no one made a big deal about it. He knew how to handle the press even on a bad day. He took the last bite of his sub, chewing it happily before tossing the wrapper in the bin by his desk. 

All good things had to come to an end though. Ms. Bisky informed him about an hour later over the phone that the mayor was asking to speak to him on line 1. He mumbled a curse, telling her to put him on through. He sunk in between his shoulders as the line was connected. 

“Good job on the press conference, Paladiknight. Keep that shit up and you may be able to keep your fucking  _ job _ .” 

It was a compliment, one embedded within an insult, but hell he’ll take it. “Thank you, Mr. Jones. I’ll make you proud,” he said jokingly before putting the phone back on the receiver. He wasn’t going to let the mayor bring him down, not today. He had a little boy’s party to attend. 

At 3pm, he packed up the cake and present, ready to head down to the foster home to pay his little friend a visit. On his way out, he told Ms. Bisky to only forward calls to him if it was an emergency. Then, he waltzed right out of the station way before his shift ended. It felt weird stepping out into the blazing sun rather than the late night air. He placed the cake and present in the backseat of his truck, making sure they were secure. He left the parking lot with a smile, ready to give Gon the best birthday he’d ever had. 

The foster home wasn’t that far down the road. The police department sat right in the middle of the foster home and Gon’s school, so it was no wonder the kid managed to stop by every day. He pulled up, noting how scarce the parking lot was. There wasn’t much to do at a foster home unless someone was planning on adopting. He’d considered taking Gon home with him numerous times, but he didn’t think he had it in him to care for a child, not yet anyways. The boy seemed adamant about wanting his own father to return for him too, so he wasn’t sure how he would deal with that were he to take the boy in. And in spite of it all, Gon seemed happy at the foster home with kids his age and nice caregivers. He was a social creature unlike Leorio; why clip his wings? 

The woman working the front desk smiled at him when he came in. She seemed confused as to what he was holding though. He approached her. 

“I’m here to see Gon Freecss.” 

“Oh, you must be Mr. Paladiknight! He talks about you all the time. He went to the park to play, but he should be back soon.” 

Leorio nodded, beaming at the fact that the boy talked about him all the time. Not everyone was friends with the police chief. Most people considered him an enemy at that. He took a seat in one of the few chairs pressed against the wall by the entrance. Placing the cake and present in the seat next to him, he pulled out his phone, prepared to wait. 

He spent 20 minutes playing games on his phone, trying to beat his old high scores when Gon finally bolted through the door. He was in such a rush that he almost missed Leorio sitting there. The youngster panted, eyes shifting across the lobby, sweat collecting on his forehead. He must have been playing pretty rough. 

“Hey there, tiger! How was the park?” he asked with a grin. 

Still trying to catch his breath, Gon sent Leorio a look of confusion. “Park?” Then, his eyes widened. “Oh yeah, the park! It was a lot of fun. I got to play with friends that I don’t usually see. What are you doing here?”    

“I’m here to celebrate someone’s birthday~,” he teased, watching as Gon’s face morphed in excitement. 

“You’re here for my birthday?!” he shouted in gleeful disbelief. The kid was so happy he started jumping up and down in place, tiny hands jittering in front of his chest. 

Leorio laughed, grabbing the cake and present as he stood. 

“Is that a cake? Oh my god, I can’t believe it! We have to go to the canteen and give everyone a slice!” Before he knew it, Gon had grabbed a hold of his free hand, leading him past the front desk and down the hall. 

He let the boy drag him, not knowing where he was going anyways. The attendant at the front desk followed behind them to help out with the party. Gon was practically skipping in front of him, head swinging this way and that, happy as could be. Leorio’s own smile didn’t falter, glad he could be the source of Gon’s joy. As they paraded down the hall, some kids’ heads poked out of their rooms, curious. Gon waved at all of them, beckoning them to follow them into the canteen. By the time they got there, the whole foster home was behind them. Gon pushed open the canteen doors to reveal a few large tables like the ones in school cafeterias. He headed to the one in the very middle, arms spread out in front of him to display it, cheeky grin plastered on his face. 

All the other kids gathered around the table, scrunching up together to see. The attendant stood beside Leorio with a warm expression on her face, admiring how engaged the children were. Leorio placed the cake box down onto the center of the table. He watched as the other kids’ eyes widened, leaning in to get a closer look. He sat Gon’s present down on the bench next to him before flipping open the lid of the cake box. Instantly, the kids around him gasped loudly, some even exclaiming in delight over the complexity of the cake. Gon’s expression was the most memorable, however, as his eyes grew to the size of saucers, his jaw slacked, and his elbows bent against the table while he marveled at the dinosaur-themed confectionery. 

Leorio bristled with pride, hands on his hips, back perfectly straight as he smirked down at the childish wonder in their eyes. “Pretty good, right?” he asked. 

Gon rapidly glanced from him to the cake a few times, obviously at a loss for words. His stunned silence only served to further boost Leorio’s ego.  _ Just wait until he sees the present.  _

“It’s absolutely amazing!” he finally shouted out, shaking with excitement. 

The kids around the table bursted out in agreement, nodding their heads and spouting similar praises. Leorio shook his head, leaning on one leg in order to reach into his pocket and dig out the cigarette lighter he had grabbed from the truck’s console before coming in. He stuck out his tongue, digging for a few seconds until he snatched it, pulling it from his pocket with a hum. He flicked open the top, turning the wheel until it sparked. The kids awed at him, completely engrossed by his movements as he bent over to light the candles “1” and “3”. Gon bounced on the bench beside him, and Leorio laughed under his breath. He pulled back after lighting the candles, putting the lighter back into his pocket. 

He lifted his hands up much like a conductor would. “Are we ready?” The other kids screeched in response, hopping in place, smiles never leaving. “On the count of 3! 1...2...3!” 

The children knew exactly what to do. They erupted into the “Happy Birthday” melody, surprisingly calm for a rambunctious group of kids. Leorio sang along, a little bit louder than the rest. And, when the song was almost over, he yanked Gon up into his arms, bending him over the table in order to reach the candles. After the last note, the boy wiggled in his grasp, eyes shut for a brief moment to make a wish, and then he blew onto the flames with as much air as he could muster. The candles flickered out and the other kids screamed with a childish joviality that Leorio wished he could regain. Some of them began clapping, and then the entire canteen was filled with their applause. Gon beamed in the spotlight, sinking into his shoulders sweetly, smiling so wide his dimples were as clear as day. 

The caregiver went off to find plates and cutlery, quickly bringing them back to the table. She brought out a knife for Leorio to cut the cake. He took it from her, turning to Gon first since he was the birthday boy. He asked him which piece he would prefer. The youngster chose an end piece with a dinosaur figure in the middle of it. Once Gon was situated, he began cutting pieces like crazy in order to distribute them to the rest of the kids. The pieces were smaller than he would have liked, but everyone managed to get a slice; Leorio wasn’t much of a sweet tooth, so it was fine that he didn’t get a piece. 

As soon as everyone was settled, he grabbed the present, setting the bag on the table to make room for him to sit. Gon kicked his feet excitedly, mouth full of cake, his lips partly green from the icing. 

“Go ahead and open it, buddy,” Leorio said, watching amusedly as Gon shoved his plate to the side and seized the sparkly bag his gift was in. 

Like all kids, Gon shook the bag beforehand, trying to guess what Leorio might have gotten him. Then, he reached both of his hands in, pushing the tissue paper out of the way. He gasped as he looked down into the bag, his hands shooting down to lift the box out of it. He slammed it onto the table, the kids around him yelling out in wonderment at his present. The miniature, green dinosaur stared back at the boy, mouth wide open to expose its pointy teeth. Its back was littered with spikes, and there was a black collar around its neck since it was supposed to be the child’s pet. Gon twisted the box around to look over all the features, mouth never closing. He seemed to vibrate with elation, turning to Leorio with shimmering eyes. He didn’t even speak. He simply threw himself at the police chief, arms wrapping around his neck tightly. Leorio hugged him back. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he spewed.

Leorio was just glad he made the kid’s day. He deserved it more than anything. 

* * *

Leorio ended up staying with Gon until around 8pm. After opening his present, the child had scarfed down his cake, ready to play with his new toy. Leorio had cut the box open for him, reading over the instructions to make sure they knew how to play with it; thank god it came with batteries. They all watched in amazement as the dinosaur roared to life, prancing about the canteen’s tiled floors effectively. A lot of the kids pet it, some unfortunate enough to pet the snout and get scared shitless when it growled at them, and maybe he had snorted a little too loudly at that. They moved throughout the foster home, playing with the dinosaur and Leorio followed. It was nice to get away from the station for a bit and just enjoy himself. Of course, all toys get boring soon enough, and then he was coerced into playing numerous games like Red Rover and Red Light, Green Light. Eventually, they brought out the board games and he was sad to say he didn’t do as well as he thought he would. 

Everything was going fantastically and he had planned on staying a little bit longer when his cellphone started to ring. He had been in the middle of Duck, Duck, Goose! when it happened. He sighed, standing up to answer the call out in the hall. 

He smiled down at Gon and the others. “Gimme one moment,” he reassured, taking his cellphone out of his pocket, the ringing even louder now. 

Once out of the kids’ sight, his face fell, grumbling as he walked out into the hall. He told Bisky to only let calls through if it was an emergency. 

He clicked the answer button. “Look, this better be life or d-”

“Mr. Paladiknight, we have a hostage situation at the Padokea Auction House. We need your approval to send out the S.W.A.T. Team.” 

His stomach dropped. A hostage situation? It has been a few months since they’ve had to call out the big boys. He wasn’t surprised by this in the slightest, but these kind of situations always made his skin crawl and his anxiety skyrocket. As police chief, he was responsible for every life in this city. And, during a hostage situation, he was required to make some pretty fucking tough calls. He had to save as many people as he could, but sometimes that didn’t mean _everyone_.   

He composed himself after hearing that statement, knowing he had to go back into police mode; the time for games was over. 

“Go ahead and send out the S.W.A.T. Team. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

He hung up the phone, taking in a deep breath. Clutching his phone tightly, he counted to ten before releasing. He placed his phone back into his pocket, heading back into the room with a smile on his face like the phone call he just took never even happened. He knew better than to discuss police business with civilians especially children. All it did was start a panic, which was usually distracting to the goal at hand. 

Gon grinned at him as he stepped into the room. “C’mon, Leorio! It’s your turn!”

He laughed lightly, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. “Ah, I’m sorry, Gon. It looks like I have to go back to the station now. They need me.” 

A whine escaped Gon as his expression fell, eyebrows scrunched down, pouting. Leorio hated to do this to the little guy, but there were far more important things he had to attend to. He could always come back and visit Gon. The boy seemed to understand this because he nodded, then rose to his feet. He dashed over to Leorio, colliding with his stomach. The hug was so hard that it knocked the air right out of him, but he embraced the other just as much. 

“Come back soon, okay?” 

He smiled affectionately. “Of course, kid. I’ll be back to play with you another day.” 

Gon nodded, releasing his hold on him. Before Leorio turned around, he sent him a tiny wave, looking pitiful. He really did hate this, but what could he do? He exited the room, increasing his pace once he was out of the kids’ sight. He was on a mission now. He didn’t know how bad the situation was, but he wasn’t going to stand around and waste time worrying; he was going to get his ass down there and solve the problem before it got out of hand. With this in mind, he bolted out of the foster home, heading for his truck out in the parking lot. The sun had just recently set, purple streaks still visible in the night sky. It was cooler at night than it had been during the day. All in all, it was relaxing out here, not the kind of night for a hostage situation. It just made it seem so surreal. 

He shook those thoughts from mind as he jerked open his car door, holding onto the handle to hoist himself up into the seat. Slamming the door shut, he revved up his engine, then flicked on the siren. Having a siren was one of the perks of being cop because he’ll admit he has used it to get out of traffic jams before. Most people probably found the whirring and flashing lights to be annoying or intimidating, but he had been around these sirens all his life; the noise faded into the background at this point. Maneuvering like the experienced driver he was, he smoothly backed out of the parking lot, turning the wheel to right himself before accelerating towards the exit. Once he was on the road it was a straight shot to the auction house. What would have been about a 30 minute drive turned into ten with his siren blaring and his foot constantly pressed down on the gas. 

As he approached the large Gothic building in the middle of downtown, he could already see the S.W.A.T. Team set up, riot shields creating an impenetrable fortress near the entrance. He parked on the side of the road, no time to worry about finding a parking spot. Clicking off the siren, he hopped out of his truck, dashing over to get behind the riot shields. He had his badge out, but most of the S.W.A.T. Team already knew who he was and paid him no attention. He felt his heart beating erratically not only from his running as he saw the captain in the center of his men. Leorio flapped his hands wildly to get the captain’s attention. 

The burly man eyed him seriously, waiting for Leorio to get to him. When he did, he informed him of the situation. “A group of criminals snuck into the auction. They opened fire onto the civilians. We don’t know how many are dead. They said they have ten hostages, and they’ll shoot every one of them unless they’re allowed to leave peacefully.” 

He whistled lowly, his gut wrenching. He secretly wished he had taken more pills today. Maybe it would have eased the tremendous wave of anxiety crippling him. As police chief, it was his call to make such a harrowing decision. What did he do in a shitfest like this? There were ten hostages and the criminals wanted to leave  _ peacefully _ . He knew that was bullshit, but at the same time, they didn’t know how many people were already dead. He could have the S.W.A.T Team charge in, risking those ten lives, or he could do as the criminals wanted. A tough call, one that made his head swim and his bones ache. In the end, ten lives were worth letting the criminals go. He didn’t want the unknown death tally to spike even higher. They could always catch the crooks later when no civilians were involved. Motherfuckers. 

He gave his order to the captain, taking his own gun out as the captain told the criminals they had five minutes to get out before the S.W.A.T. Team moved in. He made a quick call himself to have as many cruisers set up a radius around the auction house to see if they could catch the criminals when they escaped or to at least catch a glimpse of them. It was horrible having to wait. All their ears were perked, bodies tense as they awaited their cue. If there was a scream or gunshot, they were rolling in, no questions asked, but it never came. It was  _ deathly  _ silent. Leorio heard himself gulp, felt the lone bead of sweat slide down from his forehead. He held his loaded gun in hand, ready to take aim should they storm the auction house. The captain stood beside him, stoic face staring down at his precise watch, the kind that ticked down the very milliseconds because it was required in these types of situations. His heart kept the beat as he waited like a coward behind the riot shields. He breathed in and out, counting them slowly; a shaky cop made a shaky shot. Then, after precisely five minutes, he saw the captain’s eyes dart up. He tensed. 

“Alright, move it,  _ move it _ !” 

Simultaneously, all the S.W.A.T. Team rose to their feet, the clacking of their shields one giant crescendo. From his crouched position, he extended himself watching as the S.W.A.T. Team headed in first. He followed right behind them, but tried to keep out of their way; they were trained for this, he was not. The street vibrated from their stomping boots, metal shifting as they moved thanks to their shields and guns. They broke down the entrance doors like someone snapping a twig. Leorio was blinded by the bright lights of the building as he followed in. Something attacked his nostrils as he stormed in, something  _ metallic  _ and  _ fresh _ . His nose crinkled; he knew that odor like the back of his hand.

The S.W.A.T. Team fanned out, heading in all kinds of different directions to secure the building. He glanced around, looking for the source of the smell, but everything looked pristine and proper in the lobby. He cautiously walked into the center of the lobby, loud yelling ringing out all around him.

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

“Tango down!” 

His head whipped around at the last call, his legs moving of their own accord down the left hall. He came to a set of ornate doors, the horrendous odor becoming stronger and stronger the closer he got. His eyes narrowed, pushing the doors open with a mighty shove. What he saw left him  _ horrified _ . 

As soon as the doors swung open, the smell assaulted him,  _ engulfed  _ him. It was thick, making him gag instantly. His eyes watered, shifting around to take in all the dead bodies surrounding him. He had seen plenty of corpses in this line of work, had even watched a number of people die right before his eyes, but the  _ sheer  _ number of people laying on the auction floor stunned him. He didn’t know if the carpet had originally been red, or if it was simply stained that way from all the  _ blood _ . Some of the bodies were piled on top of each other, their limbs tangled, lifeless eyes still wide. Most of them were crowded around the door, arms stretched out to reach for the exit in their final moments of life, reaching towards  _ him _ . He felt dizzy. 

He looked away from the corpses, pinching his nose closed to breath through his mouth since the smell was overpowering. In the center of the floor, away from most of the bodies, were two S.W.A.T. Team members, apprehending a man with blond hair. He seemed completely unperturbed by the bodies littering the floor, expression almost  _ bored _ . He was frozen in place for a few seconds, but he finally slid out of the entrance to let the S.W.A.T. members walk by, criminal in their grips. Instead of looking back into the room, back into  _ their eyes _ , he turned his back on them, following the S.W.A.T. members. They carted the man off into the lobby where they met up with the rest of the team. The captain walked in, and Leorio felt like a zombie standing there, his mind blank and limbs numb. He listened in as they informed their captain as to what they had found. 

It turned out the criminals were lying about having hostages. Everyone in the auction house was dead except for the one criminal they managed to catch, the blond man, and a sole survivor. She was standing on the opposite side of the room, covered in blood from head to toe, blood that wasn’t her own. Through the grime of her face, Leorio could see her terrified countenance: her glossed over eyes, her matted hair, trembling hands, and scrunched features. She had survived by pretending to be dead, lying amongst the corpses of her peers, drenching herself in their own blood to make it out  _ alive _ . She was thoroughly traumatized, but he knew she would be their prime witness once she got settled down at the hospital. 

In total, 17 people were dead, including the organizers of the auction. Most of the crowd was able to flee when the shots rung out, but the unlucky ones, the ones trapped in the main room where he had stood, were all shot on sight as they tried to escape. All the items up for auction were stolen. Nothing was left but the bodies. It was a complete  _ massacre _ . 

In all his years of serving as the chief of police, Leorio had never seen something so atrocious. He had dealt with hostage situations before, though it couldn’t even be called that anymore, but the body total had never surmounted five. Five was a killing spree. Padokea, amongst all her sins, had fortunately never encountered a serial killer until recently at least not while he was in service. And, he had never been on the scene to survey the damage of such disasters. He had the stomach for it, even though the smell permeated every pore of his being, but even the most hardened veterans needed a little air. 

He headed out the kicked in doors, making his way gingerly down the grand steps. He felt like he was on auto-pilot, drifting in and out of consciousness, and he wasn’t even  _ high _ . His body didn’t feel like it was connected to him. His limbs moved, but he didn’t remember telling them to. Despite this, he managed to look around outside. The S.W.A.T. Team had drawn major media attention, but they were keeping their distance for once. Ambulances were pulling up to the scene. Leorio prayed these paramedics weren’t new to the job or they were in for it. He saw the sole survivor sitting in the back of an ambulance. They had cleaned her face, but it was still spotted with blood. She was sobbing when they closed the doors on her, the vehicle spurring to life to take her to the nearest hospital. The paddy wagon sat near the ambulances. He saw the lone criminal sitting in there, hands cuffed behind his back, still as unamused as ever. 

All that was left to do was the clean-up considering the cruisers he had set up hadn’t even seen the rest of the criminals who committed such a vile act. He’ll find them. He swore his life on it. But, for now, he’ll take his leave, go home, and drown himself in some hard liquor to forget everything he saw tonight; there will be a case file on his desk in the morning with pictures, and really, that’s all he  _ needed _ to see.  

But, just as he started to head towards his truck, he spotted Kurapika pulling up to the scene in a cruiser. The detective was in the back, climbing out as soon as the officer up front did. Leorio stopped, gazing at the other. Kurapika had every right to be here as the top detective, he could probably solve this case faster than anyone, but at the same time, Leorio didn’t want him here, and there was a good reason as to  _ why _ . He watched him take calculated steps, each one forceful, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Even from across the way, Leorio could see the tears welling in Kurapika’s eyes as he marched towards the front steps. 

_ Hell no.  _

Abruptly, it felt like his body was his again. He was suddenly kicking into high gear, legs straining to reach Kurapika before he could take that first devastating step. He knew better than to let him inside. Kurapika had always been emotional, crying at plenty of crime scenes. He had never once pried, a man has a right to his secrets, but based on what he saw earlier, he knew Kurapika couldn’t handle it. That thought drove him, sending him barreling towards the other. Kurapika was about to reach the steps when he outright tackled him, arms wrapping around his torso, heaving him off the ground to drag him back. 

* * *

Kurapika was determined to see the wreckage. He  _ knew  _ the Phantom Troupe was responsible for this. His stomach sunk when he heard the news over the scanner. He had clamoured into the nearest cruiser, dead-set on being the first detective at the scene. When he got out of the car, he recognized the blond man in the paddy wagon. He knew him  _ all too well _ . The rage inside of him burned to life at the man’s disinterested face like he was completely innocent, like he hadn’t taken countless lives,  _ innocent  _ goddamn lives. He felt the tears well up in him as he made a beeline for the auction house. He had to see.  _ He had to see _ . 

But, he didn’t make it. He was so hellbent on getting into the building that he didn’t see Leorio hurdling towards him. By the time he noticed, it was too late. The police chief was holding him back, strong arms around his waist. He writhed immediately, grunting desperately. Leorio lifted him off the ground, his legs flailing as he tried to escape his clutches. The world around him became blurry as his tears began to fall. He could still see the auction house right in front of him. If only, he could break  _ free _ ! He started to thrash wildly, head twisting, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He lamented over his forsaken mission. He had to help them! It was his fault! All his fucking  _ fault _ ! 

“Let me see! You have to let me see! Those poor people…” He wailed, cries decreasing in volume as he went on, utterly helpless in Leorio’s grip. 

And then, he wasn’t at the auction house anymore. He was back in his room, heart beating frantically against his ribcage; he could hear it in his ears. His arms over his head as he hid under the bed like his mother instructed him to. His lips pursed together tightly as to not make a single sound because the  _ murderers  _ were right there, in  _ his  _ room, around  _ his  _ bed, and he was underneath it terrified to even fucking breathe because they  _ might  _ hear him. 

He gasped as he came back to the present, salvia dribbling from the corner of his mouth. His head lolled back against Leorio’s shoulder. He keened uselessly, feet still swinging, but there was no intent behind his actions anymore. He had slumped, content to lay in the chief’s arms and cry. Cry for the people murdered in the auction house. Cry for the hundreds of people who had died in this godforsaken city. Cry for his own lost family. 

* * *

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Leorio almost as if a grenade had gone off. He had seen his fair share of explosions. He knew the after effects all too well: ringing ears, head full of cotton, and disorientation. He felt all of those things in the few moments when he held Kurapika back. His limbs felt heavy like he could barely lift them making holding Kurapika steady even harder. The detective’s drawn out screams and moans overrode his senses. All around them the world carried on. Sirens were going off, blue and red lights flashing. In front of them, a few S.W.A.T. Team members strolled down the steps, guns swinging by their sides, armour appearing to weigh them down. Some paramedics followed after them carrying a covered stretcher, seeming to take their sweet time. Nobody paid any attention to them, too concerned with the clean-up. One distraught detective was not enough commotion to warrant an audience, something he was grateful for. 

Eventually, Kurapika tired himself out, slumping in his hold. The other cried softly, all the fight in him gone. Leorio half drug half carried Kurapika to his car. He didn’t resist. Struggling to open the door, he managed to shove the other in the passenger seat, buckling him up carefully. Once he was secure, Leorio hopped into the driver side, ready to get the hell away from this living nightmare. He put the siren on as he drove to his house, not wanting to deal with any traffic; he was ready to go home and forget this ever happened. 

When they arrived Leorio helped Kurapika inside, arm around his shoulders as he traversed the steps to the porch. Leorio felt like the other was going to collapse at any moment, but he got him to lay down on the couch before that happened. He settled Kurapika in, watching him melt into the upholstery. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the man a water. He made a trip to the closet upstairs to bring him a pillow and a blanket as well. He didn’t want Kurapika to spend the night in his lonesome house, suffering through this all alone. He wanted to make sure his friend was okay. 

He was clearly exhausted, most likely dizzy from the way his eyes drifted about the room. Yet, he gazed up at Leorio, eyelashes fluttering incessantly. 

“I’m sorry…,” he said with a hoarse voice probably from all the crying. “Thank you.” 

He just sighed, pulling the covers up over Kurapika. “Any time. Now, get some rest.” 

The detective’s eyes closed instantly, and Leorio headed up the stairs to plop himself down in his own bed, but not before dry swallowing a few more sleeping tablets; they usually worked better than liquor anyways. 

* * *

It had been a while since they’ve had sex  _ this  _ good. He panted as he laid on Illumi’s chest, snuggling into the man’s warmth. He sighed dreamily, his legs still quivering from their session. Looking up, he saw that little grin plastered on Illumi’s face. Hisoka couldn’t help but smile himself, happy to please his lover so; he hardly ever smiled. He could tell Illumi wasn’t troubled anymore. Their plan was working perfectly. He knew of the Troupe’s heist tonight long ago seeing as he was one of their informants. They worked their plan around the Troupe’s in order to bombard the police. It was all going according to plan. 

He traced circles on Illumi’s chest. “Tomorrow’s the big day~. Are you ready?” 

Illumi pulled him closer and kissed his forehead. “Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go~! Things are certainly building up, no? Will anything ever be revealed? Sure enough I promise! The next chapter is going to be a huge explosion of plot, so buckle up! I really enjoyed writing the S.W.A.T. Team scene and felt I really captured the emotion with it. I was in the zone as I wrote it, haha! There's no S.W.A.T. Team cut scene in the game This is the Police, but you have the option to send them out to hostage situations a lot, which is where I got the idea from. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! The next one's gonna be a doozy! 
> 
> I'd like to encourage you to read the rest of the awesome works produced in this event! They can all be found under the HxHBB17 tag or on the hxhbb17 blog, where you can also see all the fabulous art work on June 1st!
> 
> As always my writing requests are open on Tumblr. I do most kinks, so if you want something more explicit I'll be more than welcome to do it! The only thing I'm asking you to do now is make sure I have some way to contact you about your request because I've been having some issues that I won't get into here. But, don't be shy! I promise I don't bite~.
> 
> My Tumblr is yaoiobsessedwrites. It is labeled as an 18+ blog simply because I do reblog NSFW posts, so if you have trouble finding it on mobile that's why. Feel free to message me on my Tumblr! I'm always willing to talk to people about pretty much anything. You can also send me prompts or ask questions! I promise I'm not scary! I also take drabble requests, so just send me a message and I'd be happy to write you something!
> 
> My writing Tumblr is supahimagery. Feel free to message me here as well! Shoot me an ask if you have any writing questions or simply want some advice! I'm always more than willing to help. It's why I created this blog! It's not just for FanFiction either! Feel free to ask me questions pertaining to essay writing, editing, and/or about original works!
> 
> If you have any questions about my writing or would like to see something specific, email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com! 
> 
> I do have a FanFiction account as well. It's under the same penname. Some of the fics on there are pretty old though, so here's your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. All Washed Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to the dreaded chapter 4! We have reached the climax of our tale and it's truly awful! This was my favorite chapter to write by far. There's so much emotion in it and hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! It turns out that we are officially allowed to post this fic on Tumblr and the artists can begin posting their art as well, but everything is still due by June 1st. My artist is @toomuchhisoka on Tumblr and I'm so happy they decided to make artwork for my fic! I followed them before this event because their artwork is so pretty and honestly my aesthetic. I can't wait to see what they've done for my little ole fic~!
> 
> But, enough gushing! Let's get on with it!

Leorio woke up the next morning feeling tired as all hell. The sleeping pills had really done a number on him. He didn’t even remember how many he took last night. All he knew was that he took enough to knock him out  _ good _ . He could feel his head spin even while his eyes were closed. He groaned, reaching out to cut off his annoying alarm. He yawned, mouth stretching impossibly wide. He hooked his legs over the side of the bed to get up, but when he stood, he almost fell right back onto his ass because he was so light-headed. He smacked his lips a couple of times, his mouth completely dry. 

He trudged his way down the stairs in order to get something to drink. He grumbled the entire way down, each step creating a hammering in his head that he felt like he would never be able to soothe. What happened last night that made him so pill happy? He held onto the railing for a moment, scratching his back with yet another yawn. Then, he headed into the living room to make his way to the kitchen. That was when he saw Kurapika laid up on his couch looking as comfortable as he could there. It slowly started to come back to him then. Gon’s birthday. The auction house. The massacre. Kurapika’s breakdown. As the memories all tumbled back to him he couldn’t help but want to take even more pills to get them to go away again; no wonder he took so damn many. 

He shook his head, walking into the kitchen. He rested his head against the cool metal surface of the fridge before yanking it open. A light buzzing filled the air while the door was opened. He grabbed the carton of orange juice off the top shelf. He poured himself a whole glass, chugging it down as fast as he had poured it. It quenched his parched throat, leaving him more awake than he had been before. He belched, placing the glass into the sink to be washed later. He held onto the rim of the sink, working up the strength to go ahead and get breakfast ready; he knew Kurapika would appreciate waking up to good food. Who wouldn’t? 

He decided to make oatmeal and toast. It was simple because he didn’t exactly feel like making an entire three course meal at the moment. He thought it would be easy, but he ended up dropping the oatmeal packets more times than he could count and spilling the boiling water, thankfully not on himself. His coordination was all wonky this morning. He eventually got breakfast ready, setting up the table so that the two of them would sit across from each other. He walked back into the living room to wake up his guest. Kurapika looked so peaceful on his couch, but he had to get up for work. He jostled Kurapika’s shoulder until the other’s eyes fluttered opened. He moaned weakly, hands coming up to rub at his sunken eyes. He appeared groggy, probably even more so than Leorio thanks to his bawling last night. 

Kurapika got up quickly, dazedly approaching the table. He almost missed the chair when he went to sit down. They ate in relative silence, both of them too tired to say much. The weight of what happened last night hung over them. Leorio felt it permeating the atmosphere around them, the air thick like the summertime right before a thunderstorm. This didn’t hinder their appetites as they both ate everything off their plates. 

Kurapika cleaned up the table while Leorio went back upstairs to get dressed. It was only after he was ready did he realize that Kurapika didn’t have a change of clothes. He cursed under his breath, not feeling like stopping by the man’s house on the way to the station. Instead, he hunted through the back of his closet until he stumbled across an older suit of his. He dusted it off and it looked good as new. He showed it to Kurapika when he got back downstairs. He seemed grateful for the offer even if the damn thing was still too big for him. 

They were all set to head out the door when Leorio’s phone went off. He griped as he dug into his pocket for it. 

“Paladiknight.” 

“There’s been a murder at 445 Cranberry Avenue. It seems to be connected to the serial killer.”  

“On my way,” Leorio answered, and turned to Kurapika to tell him what had happened. He saw a spark in the other’s eyes, the grogginess fading at the prospect of a case. Leorio was still dizzy, but he’ll manage; he always does. 

They got into his truck, speeding off towards the scene of the crime. Kurapika was on the edge of his seat the entire time, itching for a new lead. When they arrived there were reporters swarming around like buzzards as usual. Something about the street seemed familiar to Leorio though. The house was fancy, the true sign of someone wealthy. It was fenced in with columns on the porch. It was at least two stories and it was an ugly ass yellow color. He felt like he remembered the ugly ass yellow color. 

He managed to park in the lawn of the house, a little bit away from the nearest news van. He had enough of the press yesterday. They both climbed out, getting their badges out to flash them at the cop standing guard by the caution tape. Leorio held the tape up for Kurapika as he ducked under. The officer standing there informed them of the situation. 

“The First Deputy Mayor, Ian Young, has been murdered. It looks like the serial killer’s doing. Same gunshot to the head and suicide note. Ian Young was also involved in a scandal recently concerning embezzlement.”

Leorio clicked his tongue as he went to survey the scene; that’s why this address felt so familiar, damn. Kurapika remained close to him as they entered. They arrived just on time seeing as the crime scene investigators were just beginning to take photographs. They headed down the hall where a number of people were already flocking. They were surrounding an open door. Leorio pushed through the mass of people, hearing the sound of a camera clicking as he walked in. They were in the bedroom and the victim in question was lying dead in his bed. There was a puddle of blood beneath the man, a note on the nightstand next to a half empty bottle of vodka. A pistol was barely clutched in Mr. Young’s dying grip, the very weapon he used to deliver the bullet to his head. It looked like a standard suicide, but they knew better now.  

Kurapika looked around more than Leorio did. The chief mainly stood off to the side, nursing his headache. He still felt extremely dizzy, and if he moved a certain way, he felt nauseous. There wasn’t much to do there anyways. He made sure everyone else was doing their job, getting all the evidence together, and then packing it up. It didn’t take too terribly long, and him and Kurapika were walking out just as the stretcher was brought in. Since he parked in the yard it was easy to avoid reporters even though a few still hurled screaming questions at him; he ignored them with grace seeing as he was able to restrain himself from flipping them off. He pulled out of the lawn honking his horn gleefully as he almost ran a few of the vultures over; he’d never really do that, but damn the looks on their faces!

Soon they were back on the road heading towards the station. Kurapika was oddly silent on the way back; he had been all morning. Leorio believed he understood why. While standing on the sidelines at Mr. Young’s house an officer had approached him in order to tell him what they had learned about the massacre last night. It turned out the apprehended crook was suspected of being a member of the notorious Phantom Troupe, a malicious gang comprised of misfits who act like they were entitled to something. He despised them already, but after what happened last night, he wasn’t sure he could face one of them without immediately pulling the trigger. He felt that way and he wasn’t even over the case. Kurapika was the lead investigator on that one and had been for a number of years. He joined the force simply to track down these bandits. That took some determination. And, Leorio was concerned Kurapika might go off the handle when he had to interrogate the crook later today. 

He was so worried in fact, that he couldn’t help but mention it. “Are you sure you’ve got this? Do you need me to interrogate that asshole?” 

Kurapika laughed darkly, scoffing. “I’ve got this.” Then, he turned to Leorio with smile. “But, thanks for worrying about me.” 

Leorio chalked it up to the sleeping pills, but his heart beat a little bit faster after that. 

* * *

When they finally arrived at the station they went their separate ways. Leorio walked off to his office in order to get started on the paperwork for Mr. Young. He would gladly do some paperwork than speak to the press, but it looked like he might have to have another conference at this rate. The whole serial killer ordeal had the city in an uproar, and with that massacre that just happened, people were looking for answers, answers he didn’t have. He decided to call a few people and figure out where they were at in solving this case. There wasn’t much evidence to go off of: no fingerprints, the murder weapons belonged to the victims, and the notes were vague. 

It seemed like nothing was going right for him at the moment. He had all these open cases, but not a clue how to solve them. It made his head pound, and typically he would reach for more tablets, but the ones in his system were already giving him a hard time. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, trying to think of all the things they were doing to try and solve this mess. Kurapika was in charge of the Phantom Troupe case and he was going to interrogate their prime suspect today. The case of Garrett Schryer had gone cold has he expected, though they were still hunting for leads. And, surprisingly, The Magician had been quiet these past couple of days. Leorio figured the vigilante would have a few words to say on what was happening. Maybe he was more attached to this joker than he thought. 

Halfway through working on the paperwork for Mr. Young, Ms. Bisky strolled in to deliver a giant stack of letters to his desk. He sighed, gesturing to the small letter box he had on the corner of his desk. She raised a brow at him before shrugging and dumping the stack there. Of course, they didn’t all fit, a few of them landing on the floor and across the desk, but he’ll get to them. Ms. Bisky walked out as he finished up the line he was writing. He pushed the paperwork away, ready to dive into the ridiculous amount of mail he received daily. A lot of people couldn’t find justice in the justice system. It was ironic as hell, but isn’t everything else? When the courts didn’t work for them or when they figured their sob story warranted some looking into they came to him. The masses sent him tear drenched or rage filled letters hoping he would take pity on them and do something. The first few batches of letters got to him. By the time he had been chief for a month, he no longer got glossy eyed reading them, because most of the time, there was nothing he could do about it no matter how pathetic someone sounded. Their letters were full of words, not facts. 

But, one of them did manage to catch his eye. Amongst the typical reports from City Hall and anonymous accusation letters, he found a pink envelope sealed with a kiss. It was addressed to him, but there was no return address. He didn’t get his hopes up thinking it was a secret admirer. The envelope screamed suspicious. He quickly peeled it open. The letter inside was written on the same pink stationery. The words were written in a glittery gel pen. There was a single sentence, but it took up the whole page seeing as it was written in a bubbly fashion. 

_ “The spider may weave its wicked web, but you should watch out for the magician lurking behind it~.”  _

It wasn’t signed, these letters hardly ever were, but he knew in his gut that this one was from The Magician. There was no doubt about it. The spider was obviously referring to the Phantom Troupe seeing as each of its members had a spider with their rank tattooed on them. The letter was most likely referring to what happened last night. The Magician was telling Leorio that he was up to something, so he better pay attention. 

* * *

He had been doing his own paperwork when another officer came into his office to tell him that the Phantom Troupe member was ready to be interrogated. Kurapika nodded, taking in a deep breath. He wasn’t sure he could handle this, but he  _ had  _ to be the one to do it. He wasn’t going to let Leorio fight his battles for him. If he wanted to take down the Troupe for himself, then he had to be cool and collected during the interrogation. He had to make him slip up. 

He made his way to the interrogation room, folder shoved under his arm. His footsteps were strong and calculated, eyes staring directly ahead of him. He could do this. He looked through the one-way glass before entering the room, deciding whether or not he should make the crook sweat a little bit more. The man was chained to the table around his ankle. He still had the same blank expression on as he did yesterday; Kurapika doubted that would change. Kurapika vividly remembered the man’s face. He was a bit older now, but it was still the same shape, same blond hair, and same beady green eyes. This was the man who stood on the sidelines as his family was killed. He had been playing on his phone the whole time, already looking up places to sell their prized collection. He had been talking so happily like they hadn’t just destroyed his life forever. Kurapika’s stomach burned with anger when he thought back to it. His grip on his folder was tight and his hands felt clammy. He tried to compose himself before walking into the room, but it was too late.  

When he opened the door and stepped in he didn’t know what he expected. Recognition? It had been 23 years since that fateful day. Of course, he recognized the man chained to the table, but he didn’t bat an eye at Kurapika. His anger swelled. He sat down across from the other heavily, flinging his folder out onto the table in front of them. He sat up straight, already glaring at the man before him. His hands were folded onto the table. He squeezed them, trying to keep his cool. 

“Shalnark Kuniyoshi. 42 year old software engineer,” he stated from memory, tilting his head. “Care to explain why you were at the Padokea Auction House last night?” 

A sly smile appeared on Shalnark’s face. “I was just there to participate in the auction. I really don’t know why I’ve been arrested, officer..?” 

“Detective Kurta,” he provided through clenched teeth. He hoped his name would ring a bell, but Shalnark didn’t react at all. It was clear that his family’s  _ murder  _ was just another job to him. “And, really Mr. Kuniyoshi? You have no idea why the police would be questioning you?” 

Shalnark shook his head with a smile. “Nope.” 

The nonchalant answer, the casual smile on his mug, and calm look in Shalnark’s eyes all combined set him off. Kurapika lurched forward, slamming the folder on the table open. The old table shook from the amount of force behind his action. He scattered out a few of the papers inside for Shalnark to see. His jaw was clenched, face contorted from the intensity of his rage. He pointed to each paper aggressively, his fingertips turning white from the amount of pressure he placed on them. 

He banged his finger against a photograph first. When he spoke it was fast like he had all the information thoroughly memorized. “Here you are ten years ago spotted with the notorious Uvogin, who is wanted for ten counts of murder.”

He jammed his finger onto the next one. “Then, seven years ago you were spotted in the black market, looking over some wares.” 

The final paper was a court report. Kurapika’s whole body jerked when he pointed to it. “Three years ago you were arrested for being suspected of murder. You got off the hook only because there wasn’t enough evidence to process you. But, let me tell you  _ Shalnark _ ,” Kurapika hissed, enunciating this sentence slower than the rest as he leaned in closer to him. “This time you’re not getting off so easy.” 

The fucker was still grinning at him even after all that. “So, what are you accusing me of, Mr. Kurta?” 

He straightened before responding. “You were involved in last night’s little fiasco under the instruction of the Phantom Troupe of which you are a member.” 

“That’s insane,” Shalnark said through a burst of laughter. “I was simply there to bid on the items. I ran out when I heard the shots and was arrested for nothing.” 

Kurapika’s temper was boiling, but he had to stay  _ calm _ . “Bullshit, Mr. Kuniyoshi. Uvogin is a known member of the Phantom Troupe and it’s surprising that you keep showing up where the Troupe is unless you too are a member.” 

“Pure coincidence. I’m drawn to trouble, y’know.” 

Kurapika slammed his fist on the table like he was trying to break it in two. Some strands of his hair fell into his flushed face, his teeth bared. That was it! “Cut the crap, Shalnark. Where is the Troupe stationed now?” 

Shalnark then frowned. He paused for a small moment as if actually considering telling Kurapika where the Troupe was. Instead, that damned smile spread back out across his face. 

He leaned across the table to whisper to Kurapika, “You can cut off the spider’s leg and it will live, but only when you cut off the head is it over.” Shalnark reclined back into his seat, crossing his arms, talking at a normal volume once again. “I’d like to speak to an attorney. I don’t like Mr. Kurta’s  _ attitude  _ and I feel I am being detained unlawfully.” 

“Bastard!” Kurapika shrieked as he jumped up from his seat. His arms were raised above his head, fists clenched. He looked like he wanted to do something: punch that smug ass smile off his face, tackle Shalnark to the ground, or even whip out his gun and shoot him on the spot. He knew better than to do  _ any  _ of these things, so he quickly walked out, leaving his folder and the photos littered on the table. 

He left the interrogation fuming, stomping back to his office. He ignored all the other officers especially the ones who asked him if he was okay. They would  _ never  _ understand. He growled under his breath, his vision seeming to be stained  _ red _ . When he did make it back to his office he opened up the bottom drawer of his desk where he stashed a few bottles of scotch, ready to drink himself into oblivion. 

* * *

“What the hell are you doing down there, Paladinight?! Can your officers not solve this damn case?!” 

Leorio rubbed at his face trying to remain calm as the mayor screamed at him. Mr. Jones was referring to the death of his first deputy earlier; Leorio was shocked he didn’t get a call sooner. “Sir, we are trying our best. We are swamped at the moment with the serial killer, the Phantom Troupe, The Magician, the recent assassination of Mr. Schryer, and every other low profile crime out there.” 

“I don’t give a damn, Paladinight! I want all your men tracking down this serial killer! He’s coming for me next!”

The mayor sounded completely hysterical. “Would you like me to send some officers your way as bodyguards, then?”  

“I’ve got plenty of guards! What I need is for you to solve this damn case!” 

Mr. Jones hung up violently after that. Leorio simply sighed, rubbing his temples vigorously. He still felt groggy and dizzy. The pills just hadn’t worked their magic today it seemed. All this stress wasn’t helping him either though. He went out to the break room to see if a cold glass of water would soothe his headache, but it didn’t do shit. Instinctively, he felt his hand reaching out for the top drawer of his desk where he kept an emergency bottle of tablets. He fought with himself for a moment, debating on whether or not taking more of them would help him or make him feel even worse. It was already 11pm, close to quitting time. He gave up his restraint, yanking the drawer open to pop a few more to calm his nerves. 

The pills only served to make him dizzier. For the rest of the night, he could barely focus on his paperwork. At 1am, he finished up the case report for Mr. Young. He slipped it onto Ms. Bisky’s desk on the way out, clutching his throbbing head. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep, but he noticed that Kurapika’s light was still on across the hall. Nobody else was in the office, and while Kurapika did tend to stay as late as him, he found the occurrence strange. He watched as a strong lightning strike illuminated main street from the large windows to his right. It had been cloudy all day and it looked like the storm had finally opened up as it drenched Padokea City. He really didn’t want to drive home in that shit and knew Kurapika didn’t either. A low rumble of thunder rolled over the city as he approached the detective’s office. 

The first thing he saw when he opened the door was Kurapika slumped back into his chair. His head was lolled back, mouth wide open, and his entire body appeared slack. Maybe it was the tablets making him woozy, but he panicked for a moment, believing the man to be dead. He dropped his briefcase onto the floor, rushing over to his friend. He grabbed his shoulders, shaking him incessantly until Kurapika’s eyes popped open. Kurapika snapped up in a daze, his eyes cloudy. Leorio breathed a sigh of relief, but he recognized that look in the other’s eyes. While Kurapika came to he looked over in the trash can by the man’s desk. He spotted at least four empty bottles of liquor in there. He cursed, knowing that he should have went into the interrogation with Kurapika. He was probably drinking to cover up his utter failure. 

The aforementioned man was mumbling under his breath. Leorio groaned. He didn’t want Kurapika to spend the night at his house again, so he’ll just have to take him home. He knew his address. He’d never been inside Kurapika’s house, but had dropped him off a couple of times. This should be no different. Again, he didn’t ask why Kurapika wouldn’t let him inside. He never let Kurapika in his barn either, so they were even. He scooted closer to help him up. 

“C’mon, man, ups-a-daisy,” he encouraged as he slid his arm around his shoulders to lift him out of his chair. 

Kurapika stumbled, still muttering. Leorio kept his arm around him to keep him upright as they made their way out of his office, but not before he leaned down to grab his forgotten briefcase. Had Kurapika not been drunk, he could have used his briefcase as protection from the rain. Instead, he shuffled the detective out in the downpour, waddling to his truck. He helped Kurapika inside first, letting himself get soaked. After buckling the inebriated man in, he slammed the door shut with a grumble, not even attempting to shield himself with his briefcase now because what was the point? He got into the driver’s side, throwing his wet briefcase into the back. The wind was jostling his truck, but he was able to crank it up just fine.  

It didn’t take long to get to Kurapika’s house. The storm was still raging, lightning crackling across the sky every once and while. It seemed like it was going to be bad tonight. He tried to get Kurapika to go inside himself, but he wouldn’t move. He was relaxing in the passenger side, still talking under his breath, but Leorio couldn’t make out anything he was saying. There was no way Kurapika was going to be able to get into his house himself. Leorio gripped the steering wheel, arching his head back with a defeated moan. He would have to escort him inside. 

“This is your own fault, Kurapika,” he scolded to his almost unconscious friend as he stepped back out into the gushing rain. 

He practically dragged the other out of his truck, heaving him up so he didn’t fall to the sidewalk. Leorio struggled to help Kurapika up his front steps, disoriented  and tired himself. The other didn't help matters as he swayed from side to side, eyes still hazy. He continued to mumble, but he actually pulled his keys out from his pocket and unlocked the door. Leorio was about to leave himself, but Kurapika left the door wide open as he walked inside drunkenly. Leorio hesitated at the door, not wanting to disrespect Kurapika’s privacy, but also wanting to make sure he was okay. He didn’t want to get a call in the morning saying the alcoholic had fallen and hit his head, dying on his own living room floor. Maybe he was just too anxious. 

He finally decided that Kurapika had set himself up for this, and if he didn’t want anyone in his home, then he shouldn’t have gotten drunk at work. Leorio stepped inside the dark house, shutting the door behind him. It smelled musty like no one had lived in it for a long time. He watched as Kurapika turned to his right to head inside a room. Leorio followed him, wondering what he was up to. 

As he entered the doorway, a huge crash of lightning struck, blinding him for several seconds as it filtered in through the window. When he opened his eyes he let out a gasp, horrified at what he saw before him. There were dozens of jars surrounding him each containing a set of eyes. They were wide yet lifeless just like the eyes of the people in the auction house. His head spun, the pounding of the rain on the roof reverberating throughout his whole body. He gagged as he saw some of the eyes move in their ooze, casually rolling over top of one another. He watched stunned as Kurapika stood in the middle of the room, encompassed by eyes, swaying still. 

And then, like a horror movie, Kurapika suddenly spread his arms out wide, body arched back as he laughed loudly. “My family!” he screeched, his large shadow creeping along the wall against the eyes, menacing. Kurapika wobbled forward, hands reaching out for the jars, like the hands that had been reaching out for him at the auction house. But, he reached his objective, caressing the jar in the very center like it was a loved one. 

_ My family.  _

Leorio’s hand was over his mouth, so overwhelmed by the situation and not knowing what to do. He didn’t even recognize the madman in front of him as his friend. If it weren’t Kurapika, because he  _ knew  _ it was him despite everything that had happened, he would have aimed his gun at the fucker and arrested him on the spot. Instead, he bolted back to his car and sped off like a coward shaking in his boots. 

Now abandoned, Kurapika sweetly rubbed at the glass of the jar, but the more he looked at the eyes the more his stomach wrenched. His fingers slid down the glass as he fell to his knees, beginning to sob. He uttered a short and shaky prayer. 

* * *

Hisoka chuckled as he awaited his target in the storm. He had been watching the chief of police for some time now. He always took this road, always got here at the exact same time. There was no doubt in his mind that the two of them would finally cross paths on this dreadful night. He had taken shelter from the rain under the awning of a building. The street was bare, not a soul in sight, but soon he saw headlights approaching. He sauntered out into the middle of the road. 

* * *

Leorio was flying down the road once he got to the outskirts of town. He doubted anyone would pull him over anyways considering he was the chief of police and because he was scared out of his fucking mind. Why did Kurapika have those eyes? Why did he call them his family? What the hell was going on?! His mind was racing as he sped. He could barely focus on the road, the pills inhibiting him more and more as time went on. He was so flustered and dizzy from the tablets that it was hard to see especially in the onslaught of rain. But, by some miracle, he managed to make out the silhouette in the middle of the road that he was fast approaching. 

He slammed his foot down onto the brakes, skidding to a stop right in front of the idiot. “Motherfucker…” 

Not in the mood for games, he launched himself out of the car and back out into the goddamn rain. He reached into his belt, pulling out his standard police-issued Beretta Model 92 pistol. He wanted to see if this asshole would still be joking around once he had his sight trained on him. 

He took aim at the stranger. “Hands on the hood! What the fuck are you doing in the middle of the goddamn road?!” 

The stranger didn’t move, and as he stepped closer he noticed how odd this man looked, if they even were a man. His attire was like that of a clown with bright colors and baggy fabric, suit symbols stitched into the top. He had a mischievous expression on his face, one that raised a red flag to him, one that said he was dealing with a lunatic. Something was definitely  _ off  _ about this person. He didn’t like it. 

He aimed his gun at their chest, but thanks to how light-headed he was, he was off. His vision wavered. 

“My, my~. What do we have here?” the stranger asked in a lilting tone, completely unperturbed by the gun pointed at him. “Could it be Leorio Paladiknight, chief of police?” 

“Hands on the damn hood or I will shoot!” 

He chuckled lowly. “Really? You’d shoot little ole’ me? I’d reconsider unless you want that little orphan boy to suffer~.” 

Leorio stiffened, soft eyes and raised brows. His aim faltered. “Gon..?”

“Mmhmm~, it seems The Magician got to him.” 

Leorio’s eyes widened as a smirk stretched across the man’s face. He  _ knew  _ this was The Magician. It just had to be! Rage swelled up in his chest, his stomach bubbling as he took a steady aim, snapping the dizziness out of him for the moment. 

“The name’s Hisoka by the way.” He pulled out a deck of cards from seemingly nowhere, or maybe he just couldn’t see through the rain and his own cloudy vision. “Care to see a trick~?” 

“You bastard! What did you do to Gon?!” he spat, arms shaking as he held up his gun. 

Hisoka shuffled the deck in his hand nonchalantly. Thunder roared in the background. “He’s fine... _ for now _ . If you’d like to keep him that way though…” There was a glint in the man’s eye, and then he hurled a card towards Leorio, the sharp edge shining in the rain.

Instantly, Leorio pulled the trigger, recoil harder than he remembered, sending him back, leg up. He missed horribly thanks to the way the world was now spinning. He watched as the card soared right towards his face. He was frozen, frame heavy from his soaked clothes and mind foggy from the sleeping pills. His arms went to come up to block his face at the last second, but before the card could get to him, it magically turned into flower petals, the light blossoms scattering onto his chest. He was thoroughly confused, but alive. Stumbling into an offensive stance, he once again took aim at Hisoka. But this time, his vision was blurry for a different reason: there were tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He had no idea what was going on or how to stop it. Kurapika was crazy with jars of eyes in his study. The Phantom Troupe was out there just waiting for the next opportunity to strike. The Zoldycks loomed over the city like a phantom in the night. And, The Magician stood in front of him, most likely about to kill him, Gon in his clutches. His whole world was crashing down around him.  

“Meet me at 144 Cedar Road Friday at 8pm. Don’t be late~,” he ended with a giggle. 

Leorio saw that Hisoka was about to take off, but his arm was shaking so hard that he couldn’t get a proper shot. He watched The Magician vanish into the torrential rain as his own gun wobbled in his hand. He was powerless. There was nothing he could now. He stood in the rain for a long time, letting it drench him down to his very soul, so that maybe it could wash away his sins, wash away the entirety of this goddamned city’s sins. He let his tears mix with the drops. He was a failure. A failure at his job, his life, and most importantly, a failure to Gon. He leaned his head back, eyes screwed shut, arms as heavy as lead as they hung uselessly down by his sides. His gun almost slipped out of hand. He didn’t need it. He wasn’t even capable of defending himself with it. But, the way his hand clenched on the grip kept him steady. 

Eventually, he stumbled back into his truck, driving slowly back to his house in the still mounting storm. It seemed like the worst was over though. The lightning became less frequent, the thunder getting quieter and quieter. He felt like a zombie as he drove, so perpetually numb that he couldn’t even think, or maybe it was the fucking drugs clogging up his system. He somehow managed to make it back to his house, collapsing onto the couch in his sopping clothing. He allowed the day’s events to shuffle through his mind. The murder of Ian Young. Kurapika’s descent into insanity. The Magician taunting him out in the rain. He thought he would be happy when he finally saw a glimpse of The Magician, spouting off some banter as they laid eyes upon each other for the first time, but it was anything but. The Magician was like any other criminal out there. He should have known better than to become interested in his mystical ways. 

And finally, he recounted Hisoka’s words in his head. He had Gon. The boy was gone and it was all  _ his  _ fault. He suddenly realized that Gon hadn’t stopped by the station today like he normally did to ask him about his missing father. The thought made his gut churn, a pressure building in his chest. He shot up, running to the kitchen sink where he vomited profusely. He retched, spitting out the last bit of bile into the drain. He gripped the counter, swaying back and forth. Then, he wiped his mouth with his wrist. He turned on the faucet, cupping his hands under the water. He brought it to his mouth to get the awful taste to go away. At least he wasn’t as dizzy anymore. 

He was about to head back to the couch to wallow in his misery when the doorbell rang. It was 3am. No one should be ringing his doorbell at 3am, but he realized he didn’t care. He headed to the door to answer it. When he opened it he was surprised to find Kurapika there looking worse for wear. He was soaking wet from the storm that was still going on. His eyes were big and puffy like he had been crying. He seemed to be able to stand up straight now though. Leorio couldn’t really judge. He probably looked the exact same, if not worse. He went to say something, but Kurapika beat him to it. 

“I’m sorry, Leorio...I’m sorry you had to see that. I should have known better than to get drunk on the job, but…” Kurapika gazed down at his shoes, sniffling. “Those  _ eyes _ ...they were my family’s prized collection. They were the eyes of our ancestors, a beautiful clan with unique scarlet eyes. Because of this, they were hunted down, their eyes sold around the world, but as generations passed the remaining members were able to collect the eyes. They were handed down to my father who kept them on display much like I do.” Kurapika’s fists were clenched by his sides as he still gazed down. He was shaking slightly and not from the cold. His teeth were clenched. “But, when I was five, my whole family was killed before my own eyes by the Phantom Troupe. My mother hid me under the bed where I could see those  _ animals  _ murder them without a thought. They took the collection, but luckily they didn’t find me. I’ve spent my entire life trying to get those eyes back. I’m only missing a handful now. But, I’ve also spent my life tracking down my family’s murderers. So when…” 

Kurapika was sobbing at this point. He looked up at Leorio with fat tears in his eyes, streaks running down his cheeks.“When they arrested Shalnark and brought him in all my anger came out. And, when he requested a lawyer I couldn’t take it! I had to drink because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have done the  _ right  _ thing,” he croaked out, looking like he was on the verge of panicking. 

Leorio’s mind was still foggy, but he paid attention to his best friend in the whole entire world despite that. How could he have doubted him so easily? Of course there was a perfectly good reason for the eyes. He was so fucking stupid. He listened to the other’s story touched and awed. He had no idea Kurapika was so traumatized, but now he understood why he was so hellbent on capturing the Phantom Troupe for so long. The desire to avenge his family burned brightly in him. The conversation they had on the porch the other day started to make more sense to him now too. Kurapika was such a strong individual for going through all of that, and yet, coming out on top. Leorio looked up to him just as Kurapika had told him the same the other night. 

He felt something swell in his chest. It wasn’t guilt or anger. He had forgotten all about his troubles to focus on Kurapika. He hated to see him cry. He didn’t like watching his face morph in sorrow, the pitiful tears falling down his face. He had seen him cry too much recently. He didn’t want Kurapika to hurt anymore. He’d been hurt enough in his lifetime. But, Leorio wasn’t sure what to do. What good could he give this more than deserving man? Something came to mind.  _ Kiss him _ . It was the only way he could think of to comfort Kurapika. He knew it wasn’t the pills making him loopy. He could feel it in his chest that he had wanted to do this for a long time, but he never knew how. Something had always been pulling him towards Kurapika, building up to this one moment in time. This was his chance. He took it. 

He stepped forward, leaning down to press their lips firmly together. This was the only way he knew how to stop Kurapika’s tears. He didn’t want to see them anymore. He just wanted the other to smile for both their sakes. They melded for a moment. Leorio’s eyes were closed, so he wasn’t sure how Kurapika looked. He could feel Kurapika’s tears on his own cheeks. Kurapika’s lips were soft and inviting, sweet to the touch. He had only kissed a few girls in his life, less than five but he couldn’t even remember half of their names. Kurapika was the first kiss that made him  _ feel  _ something: a bubbling in his stomach and a light feeling in his head. He wanted to be connected like this longer, but he wasn’t sure how Kurapika would respond to his sudden bout of affection. 

Leorio pulled back, pink dusting his cheeks. He went to apologize. He was going to say something along the lines of he didn’t know what came over him, but he didn’t have to. Because, Kurapika was looking up at him in awe with wide eyes and parted lips. He panted softly, and before Leorio knew what was happening, Kurapika threw his arms around his neck, leaning up to press their lips back together heatedly. His eyes widened, but then he gave into it, pushing back just as hard. Their heads tilted rhythmically, puckering their lips at the same time. Leorio’s arms snaked around Kurapika’s waist to pull him closer. They kissed on Leorio’s porch, each of them forgetting their troubles, the pitter patter of the rain on the roof the only sound they could hear other than their own smacking. 

Once they finally had enough of each other, they both pulled back blushing. They both believed it felt good though, Leorio panting more than Kurapika. They stared at each other momentarily, trying to catch their breaths. Kurapika was far more embarrassed than Leorio, his cheeks blazing. Kurapika went to leave, mumbling something about needing to head home, but Leorio grabbed his wrist before he could dash off. He wanted Kurapika to  _ stay _ . 

“I don’t want you driving back in this weather,” he said, his excuse.  

Kurapika smiled at him, nodding once. He didn’t release the detective’s wrist as he led him into the house. The pillow and blanket he had used the night before were still laying on the couch. Kurapika went to lay down, looking over his shoulder shyly to tell Leorio good night. He said it back, the weight of everything coming back to him as he headed up the stairs. He was ready to crash into his bed and never wake up. Too much had happened in one day. He was good for the rest of the week. 

He found himself in his bedroom, instantly slipping into a deep slumber when his head met his pillow, forgetting all about magicians and orphans and spiders. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't it be great if I just ended it there? No? Alright, fine, haha. Seriously though, this is my favorite chapter because when I was coming up with this fic the rain scene with Hisoka and Leorio was one of the first things I thought of to add conflict to the tale. I'm really good at beginnings and endings, but everything in the middle is usually a big blur. But, one day I was listening to some music, and suddenly this scene just came to me? At first I didn't know why it was happening, but I knew I wanted it to happen in the fic. All my friends can attest to "the rain scene" as one of the things I gushed about the most, haha! It became the anchoring point of this story honestly and helped me develop most of the plot before and after. I knew it was the climax too and just ah I love it so~! I hope you all did as well. Also, Shalnark's last name, Kuniyoshi, was taken from the HXH musical. The actor who played Shalnark is named Kuniyoshi so~. And, anyone have guesses as to what's going on? Any predictions as to what's going to happen, hmm? Know who the serial killer is yet? Lemme know what you think! 
> 
> Hopefully, @toomuchhisoka will post her art for this fic soon! Looking forward to it~!
> 
> I'd like to encourage you to read the rest of the awesome works produced in this event! They can all be found under the HxHBB17 tag or on the hxhbb17 blog, where you can also see some of the fabulous artwork already posted! There's also the links to the fics including mine~! 
> 
> As always my writing requests are open on Tumblr. I do most kinks, so if you want something more explicit I'll be more than welcome to do it! The only thing I'm asking you to do now is make sure I have some way to contact you about your request because I've been having some issues that I won't get into here. But, don't be shy! I promise I don't bite~.
> 
> My Tumblr is yaoiobsessedwrites. It is labeled as an 18+ blog simply because I do reblog NSFW posts, so if you have trouble finding it on mobile that's why. Feel free to message me on my Tumblr! I'm always willing to talk to people about pretty much anything. You can also send me prompts or ask questions! I promise I'm not scary! I also take drabble requests, so just send me a message and I'd be happy to write you something!
> 
> My writing Tumblr is supahimagery. Feel free to message me here as well! Shoot me an ask if you have any writing questions or simply want some advice! I'm always more than willing to help. It's why I created this blog! It's not just for FanFiction either! Feel free to ask me questions pertaining to essay writing, editing, and/or about original works!
> 
> If you have any questions about my writing or would like to see something specific, email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com! 
> 
> I do have a FanFiction account as well. It's under the same penname. Some of the fics on there are pretty old though, so here's your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. In the Wake of the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everybody! We're nearing the end now! There's only one more chapter left, and then a quick epilogue! I'll be posting both chapter 6 and 7 tomorrow since the epilogue is only about 1,000 words. Be warned! This chapter has an insane amount of cussing that I only realized once I started editing, haha. There's also some ~fluff~. Finally getting into that Leopika goodness! @toomuchhisoka hasn't posted the artwork yet, so I'm still buzzing away! I really can't wait to see it and admire it for hours on end. Maybe I should pick out a frame...
> 
> Anyways, onto the chapter!

He woke up groggy yet again. His whole body ached, and despite how long he slept, he still felt utterly exhausted. He decided not to take any more pills no matter how awful he felt. He didn’t want a repeat of yesterday. He was taking too many tablets again. He went through cycles where he would take just enough to get him through the day, and then suddenly he’d shoving them down his throat like there was no tomorrow. He needed to wean his usage, if only for a week. He sat up on the bed, holding his head in hand. Even though he felt like shit, he still felt better than he had yesterday, which was a good thing. He could make it. He just had to try. 

He sighed wearily, halfway believing in himself. He got up to make his way downstairs. Yawning loudly, he almost missed a step or two on his way to the living room. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes. When he walked into the living room he noticed that Kurapika wasn’t on the couch anymore. As he stood there pondering where the other could have gone a wonderful aroma met his senses. It smelt like heaven and grease. He followed the scent into the kitchen where he saw Kurapika laboring over the stove. The table was already set up for the most part with two plates, cutlery, and more food than he would eat in an entire day. 

Kurapika turned around, eyes widening when he spotted Leorio. “What’s all this for?” Leorio asked motioning towards the table. 

The other smiled warmly, scraping some eggs from the pan and onto a plate. “I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep. Besides, this is a repayment for yesterday when you made me breakfast.” 

“I didn’t do anything like this though!” 

Kurapika shrugged, looking a lot happier than he had last night. Leorio felt even better himself, grinning as he took a seat at the table. Kurapika finished cutting off the oven and putting the used dishes in the sink before sitting down across from him. Their gazes met, and then Kurapika looked down blushing. Leorio appeared taken aback, straightening with furrowed brows. However, it all soon came rushing back to him. He remembered the kisses the two of them had shared on his porch last night. He remembered the way Kurapika tasted, how he looked, how he smelt, and what he felt like. His memory was so vivid that he couldn’t help but flush himself. His own gaze fell to his full plate, nostrils flaring at the delicious scent. Instead of speaking, he chose to stuff his face, listening as Kurapika said his morning prayer before doing the same. 

There was an awkward atmosphere around them while they ate. Both of them didn’t know what to say. The kisses they exchanged were so sudden. Neither of them were expecting it, but at the same time they couldn’t have asked for anything better. They didn’t know if they should show their appreciation, or if it had all been a fever dream. They weren’t sure where they stood now. Were they friends or something more? All of these things ran through their minds as they ate until the silence was broken by the sound of Leorio’s phone going off. 

He pulled it out of his pajama pants’ pocket. It was an unknown number, but being the chief of police required him to answer any call he got; it could be important. 

“Hello, this is Leorio Paladiknight, chief of police.” 

“Hey, Leorio! It’s me, Gon!” the boy cried happily over the phone. 

After answering, Leorio had gone to take a sip of coffee, but once Gon spoke, he instantly spit it out, lurching forward in his seat. Kurapika jolted, gazing at Leorio with his mouth agape. Leorio stood to his feet ready to take off at a moment’s notice. 

“Gon?! Where are you? Are you okay? What happened?” 

Gon giggled. “I’m fine, Leorio! I was adopted by these really nice people. Their house is so big! I have so many toys, and I even got to bring your dinosaur with me!” 

On the inside, Leorio was freaking the fuck out, but he couldn’t let Gon know that. He sounded okay over the phone,  _ better  _ than okay. There was no doubt in his mind that The Magician had lied to Gon, posing as a noble person adopting him. He wondered what Gon meant by “people” though. 

“Listen, Gon, I need you to tell me where you are right now.” 

There was some shuffling on the other line. Leorio tapped his foot impatiently, heart thumping against his chest.

“Hello my little copcake~. Feeling better today?” 

Leorio growled, recognizing Hisoka’s unique voice. “What the fuck is going on here?!” 

“You seemed so worried last night that I thought I would let Gon call you. He’s having so much fun here with us. We’re really glad to have him~.” 

“Who the hell is ‘we’?” 

Hisoka chuckled. “You’ll find out soon enough~. Now remember, 144 Cedar Road tomorrow at 8pm. And, don’t be snooping around, Leorio. If we find out you’re looking for us...we won’t hesitate to _kill_ him. Bye-bye~!” The line disconnected.  

“Goddammit!” Leorio yelled almost chucking his phone at the ground. 

“What was that all about?” Kurapika finally asked. 

Leorio whipped around, forgetting Kurapika was in the room for a moment. The other was looking at him strangely and he realized he hadn’t told him what had transpired last night. 

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He pulled out his chair, plopping himself down in it. He then recounted last night’s events to Kurapika. He told him how he fled from his house, met The Magician, and that Gon was kidnapped by the prankster. Kurapika listened attentively just as Leorio had done for him last night; everyone needed a shoulder to lean on. He wasn’t as close to Gon as Leorio, but he was still concerned for the boy’s safety. 

The detective thought for a moment before asking, “Did you call the foster home? Someone had to sign the adoption papers.” 

Leorio beamed, snapping his fingers. “Kurapika, you’re a genius!” He went to pull his phone out when it began ringing again. This time the number was familiar. “Oh, what now?!” He huffed, clicking the answer button and shoving it to his ear. “What the hell is it?” 

“Mr. Paladiknight, the mayor has committed suicide. It looks to be the work of the serial killer.” 

“You’re shitting me…,” he said in disbelief as his hand went into his pocket, his eyes wide. 

“We need you here right away.” 

“Alright, alright, I’ll be there.” He hung up the phone, breathed in deeply through his nose before exclaiming, “Shit!” 

“What now?” 

“The mayor’s been murdered. Ole bastard was right about them coming for him next.” Leorio sighed in frustration. He should have taken Mr. Jones’s anxiety more seriously. He should have sent him some officers even if the fucker had refused. Maybe then he wouldn’t be dead. 

He shook those thoughts from mind, searching up the number for the foster home. Too much shit had been happening recently. He can’t catch a break. He feared it would never end, just an endless cycle of mishap after mishap. All this shit was really good for his confidence as the chief of police, wasn’t it? 

“The Shepherd's Home for Children, how may I help you?” 

“Yes, this is Leorio Paladiknight. I need to speak with Gon Freecss.” 

“Oh, Mr. Paladiknight, didn’t anybody tell you? Gon was just adopted yesterday! Isn’t it exciting?” 

Leorio frowned. “As the chief of police I need to know who he was adopted by. Something’s come up.” 

The woman over the phone paused for a moment. “Oh dear, alright. I have the file right here.” He waited a moment, listening to her rummage through some cabinets. He heard some papers turning before the lady answered. “Yes, he was adopted by Hisoka Morou and Illumi Zoldyck.” 

Leorio’s blood ran cold at the mention of Illumi Zoldyck. What the fuck is that maniac doing with Gon?! The bastards were cocky enough to leave their full names too like they knew he would start with the foster home. He gulped as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. 

“Thank you,” he said simply, and then hung up. He remained silent for a second, thinking everything over, trying not to imagine the worst. He turned to Kurapika. 

“He’s been adopted by The Magician and Illumi Zoldyck.” 

Kurapika sighed heavily and steepled his fingers. “They most likely want to strike a deal with you in exchange for Gon. I doubt it would be money considering the Zoldyck’s financial situation. Perhaps they want immunity? In any case, Gon is more valuable to them alive than not.” 

“I don’t give a shit what they want!” he yelled, veins popping out in his neck, “They’re not fucking getting it. I’m waltzing up in there and taking Gon out of their cold,  _ dead  _ hands.” 

Kurapika rolled his eyes at Leorio. “Please try to calm down for Gon’s sake. He seemed fine over the phone. I’ve never heard a kidnapping victim sound so happy. Focus on the other tasks at hand. You’ll just have to hold off on Gon until tomorrow.” 

Leorio slumped back in his seat with a sigh. “I guess you’re right…” 

He didn’t want Gon to have to wait, but what choice did he have? He had no idea where the boy was, and if he started snooping…

_ If we find out you’re looking for us...we won’t hesitate to kill him. _

They ate the rest of their breakfast quickly, forgetting all about their romantic moment on the porch the night before. There were more serious things to be focused on now. After breakfast, Kurapika followed Leorio upstairs to get dressed. He was still wearing Leorio’s old clothes from the day before. He couldn’t go back to work in the same outfit, so Leorio allowed him to borrow another old suit. This time the sleeves were way too long, but they managed to fix it by rolling them up. He didn’t look bad though not as professional as Kurapika would have liked.

“Why don’t you just start keeping a bag here?” Leorio joked since the other wanted to complain. 

Kurapika seemed to honestly think that suggestion over as they made their way back down the stairs to leave. However, right as they were about to walk out the front door, Leorio got yet another call. This time it was Bisky.  

“Mr. Paladiknight, the press is demanding a conference. The whole city is in a panic thanks to the mayor’s death.” 

Leorio snorted. “Tell’em to shove it up their asses. I don’t have time to have a press conference. I’m trying to solve these cases.” He hung up. 

* * *

Kurapika asked to be dropped off at the station since he too had gotten a call saying that there was new evidence in the Phantom Troupe case. Leorio parked in front of the entrance to let him out. They shared an awkward goodbye, neither of them really knowing what to say after what happened. Kurapika slammed the truck door closed and watched Leorio drive off in the direction of the mayor’s house where he would have to scope out the crime scene. He took a deep breath, shaking off their hectic morning. He had work to do. 

He didn’t even get to his office before an officer approached him to tell him the news. The survivor of the massacre, Jane Harp, was able to provide the police with an artist sketch of the leader of the troupe or who she believed to be the leader. She was too traumatized to give anymore details, but they thought the sketch was enough in itself. The officer flipped open his folders, grabbing a sheet of paper. He displayed it out for Kurapika and he scoffed. The artist sketch was a perfect replica of Chrollo Lucilfer, leader of the Phantom Troupe. She nailed him from his orb earrings down to the trimming of his fur-lined jacket. Kurapika’s eyes lingered on the cross tattoo on his forehead. He remembered it vividly. Who could forget? 

“Get that sketch out on all the cable news networks, online, and on the streets. Let’s find this motherfucker,” he encouraged, beating his fist into the palm of his other hand.  

* * *

When Leorio arrived on scene at the mayor’s house, it was a fucking mess. The street was packed with news vans, reporters covering up the whole block in front of the mansion. He cursed under his breath, not ready to deal with this shit. He parked down the road, climbing out with such a deeply embedded scowl that some of the reporters moved out of his way. He shoved and pushed his way through, clenching his teeth as they threw question after question his way. The officers on duty lifted the caution tape for him, preventing any civilians from slipping under by standing guard once he was in the lawn. 

Finally inside, another officer lead him down the massive hallway that was teeming with luxurious decor; it made him sick. The officer led him to a bathroom equipped with a jacuzzi where the mayor had met his untimely end. The metallic smell of blood was thick in the air as Leorio understood why when he stepped closer to the tub. The mayor had been shot in the head like all the other victims, his blood running down into the water to create a nightmarish mixture. A pistol lay beside the tub next to another vague suicide note. 

Leorio knew the mayor was murdered. Mr. Jones loved life too much to want to end it. He lived in the lap of luxury and had no reason to kill himself, plus the timing was far too suspicious. But, he had a hunch that the perpetrator wanted that to be obvious almost like a morbid performance, a theatrical undertaking. 

After surveying the scene, Leorio walked back outside to let the others take care of the clean-up. He had to get back to the station and try and help his force figure out some of these cases. The reporters were still swarming out there, foaming at the lips because they wanted in so bad. Looking out into the crowd of cameras and microphones, he suddenly had an idea. Why not take advantage of all this media attention? There was no way in hell that he’d be doing a press conference, so why not clue them in now? He headed towards them with a smug look on his face. They circled him like vultures to a carcass once he ducked under that caution tape.  

“Mr. Paladiknight, what has become of the mayor?” 

“Was the mayor involved in any scandals that you know of?” 

“Is it possible he simply committed suicide?” 

He let them spew their questions, waiting patiently, then spoke once they had settled down. “As of right now, we are chalking the mayor’s death up to the serial killer in question. The police are working hard to solve the numerous cases going on at the moment including the Phantom Troupe massacre, the assassination of the Mr. Schryer, and The Magician’s foolishness. An interim mayor will be appointed by the city council in a few days. Thank you.” 

He left it at that, refusing to answer any more of the ludicrous questions they bombarded him with. He didn’t have an asshole mayor to make him conduct a press conference anymore, so who cared? They followed him back to his truck, but when he showed that he had every intention of running them over if they didn’t move, they backed off. He did a U-turn, leaving them to choke on his exhaust. He knew that Kurapika had to perform a second interrogation on Shalnark Kuniyoshi today, and after yesterday’s incident, Leorio wanted to be in the room with Kurapika to keep him steady. He accelerated down Main Street, arriving at the station just on time. 

At first, Kurapika didn’t want Leorio to be in the room with him. Leorio understood that it was his case and all, but what happened yesterday proved that Kurapika couldn’t handle this one on his own. Once reminded of his own foolish decisions, Kurapika resigned. They both entered the interrogation room, sitting across from Shalnark and his attorney. In his hand, Kurapika held another folder, different from the one before. Shalnark was sitting pretty like he thought he had gotten away with murder. Kurapika’s eyes narrowed. 

Shalnark’s attorney stood, going to shake Kurapika’s and Leorio’s hands. “Hi, my name is Takeshi Midori, public defender.”

“Kurapika Kurta, lead detective.” 

“Leorio Paladiknight, chief of police.” 

Then, they all took a seat. Kurapika placed his folder out in front of him, but before he could even speak, Mr. Midori popped out, “What is my client being detained for?” 

“Mr. Kuniyoshi is suspected of being a Phantom Troupe member and assisting in the massacre that occurred on Tuesday.” 

“What evidence do you have to support your claim?” 

Kurapika filled Mr. Midori in on everything he had told Shalnark yesterday including the various other crimes Shalnark was suspected of. 

After taking in all the information, Mr. Midori said, “Proceed with the questioning.” 

Kurapika sighed heavily, eyes still narrowed and nose crinkled. Leorio eyed him, making sure the detective was okay. Kurapika flipped open his folder to reveal the sketch of Chrollo. He picked it up and handed it to Shalnark. “Do you know this man?” 

Shalnark pretended to look the sketch over thoroughly, humming slightly. Then, his big green eyes darted back to Kurapika. “Nope. I’ve never seen this man before in my life.” 

Kurapika felt his anger rising as it formed a tight knot in his chest. He knew damn well that Shalnark knew who Chrollo was. While they had no photo evidence of the Phantom Troupe leader Kurapika was sure they had a few photos on file of Shalnark talking over the phone to someone while a heist was in progress. It was obviously Chrollo on the other end, Shalnark’s boss. Shalnark was more of a reconnaissance man and communicator for the troupe than a heavy hitter. 

His fingers drummed irritably against the table. “Think it over. Give that picture a good hard look before you make your decision.” 

“I’m sorry Mr. Kurta, but what does this have to do with my client?” Mr. Midori interrupted, his tone rude. 

Kurapika’s jaw clenched as his brows furrowed. He knew the attorney was just waiting for him to blow a fuse though. Shalnark probably informed the bastard of his short temper, so he was attempting to get Kurapika to snap and claim Shalnark was being treated cruelly by the police. It was so hard to control his rage. He felt himself slipping the more he looked at Shalnark’s smug face. 

Leorio knew Kurapika was about to burst. He could feel the tension in the air. He could see it in the other’s eyes, the way they gleamed with vile hatred. He knew he had to do something to calm Kurapika down, but he was unsure of what. He didn’t want to yell at him or draw attention to the fact that Kurapika was quickly losing it. He gazed down, trying to think of a solution, when he noticed how tightly Kurapika was gripping his own knee, his knuckles white. An idea came to mind and it didn’t surprise him as much as it normally would. Maybe it was the fact that they had kissed, but he suddenly felt comfortable being a little bit more intimate. Casually,  _ slowly _ , as to not draw any attention to it, he reached his hand out to lace his fingers with Kurapika’s. 

He watched Kurapika’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second. Leorio’s gaze darted back forward, ignoring their intertwined hands. Kurapika was temporarily distracted, his anger fading into calm reflectance. He wasn’t shocked that Leorio had grabbed his hand considering what they had done last night, but it was still enough to make him wonder what they were to each other now. Would this become the norm? He didn’t want to make it known that Leorio was holding his hand, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to quell his frustration. He sat back in his seat, squeezing Leorio’s hand. He felt a lot better actually. He looked back at Mr. Midori.  

“This is a sketch of another notorious Phantom Troupe member. I wanted to know if Mr. Kuniyoshi recognized him.” He turned his gaze back to Shalnark. “I’ll ask again. Do you know this man?” 

Shalnark leaned back into his seat, staring at Kurapika wickedly. His foot tapped against the floor. “No, I don’t recognize this man. Why would I know the leader of the Troupe anyways?” he practically snarled, arms crossing over his chest, eyes shifting sideways to look off in contempt. 

Kurapika’s eyes widened again at Shalnark’s statement. Had he really fallen for the oldest trick in the book? Leorio had the same shocked expression. They gripped each other’s hands tightly. 

“Leader, Mr. Kuniyoshi? I clearly said member.” 

Shalnark froze, realizing how badly he just fucked up. He scrambled for an excuse. “I was confused. It was hard to hear you.” 

“We’ll have to listen back to the recording of this interrogation to know for sure,” Kurapika said with a smirk, seeing the two of them sweating under their collars. 

Mr. Midori looked pissed, yet he struggled to find a way out of the hole Shalnark dug them into. “Mr. Kurta, could I please have a moment alone with my client?” 

Kurapika chuckled, releasing Leorio’s hand as he stood. He packed up the sketch, taking his folder. “Go ahead, Mr. Midori. We’re done for today. We’ll check the recording tonight. Be prepared for more questioning tomorrow.”

Leorio stood as well. He was so proud of Kurapika for making the man slip up on something so trivial. He displayed his real skill as a detective, and Leorio felt like he had helped in that. If he hadn’t been here to keep Kurapika calm, who knows what could have happened. Of course, he wasn’t taking all the credit. Kurapika was an expert detective. Leorio smiled widely as he followed Kurapika back to his office. For the first time in a few days, he actually felt chirper. He was so full of excitement that he felt he could kiss Kurapika! Oh... _ He already had _ . When they got to Kurapika’s office, Leorio made sure to lock the door behind them. 

Kurapika was beaming himself as he tossed his folder onto the center of the desk. He stretched languidly, fists going up into the air. “Yes…” he hissed through his teeth as his muscles flexed, his back popping. 

He turned around, still beaming, only to come face to face with Leorio. He blinked at the dark look present in the other’s features. He had never seen  _ that  _ look before. It screamed  _ inappropriate _ . Kurapika gulped, unsure of the chief’s intentions. Leorio couldn’t help himself though. Since this morning he had been thinking about their kiss in the back of his mind. The memory was a bit fuzzy thanks to his exhaustion last night, but he could still vividly remember the way Kurapika’s lips felt upon his. He had to do it again, and now seemed like as good a time as any. 

Leorio growled playfully before scooping Kurapika up by his hips and slamming him down onto the desk. He didn’t know what came over him, but there was a knot in his chest that he felt wouldn’t go away until he got another taste of the detective. Kurapika seemed surprised by his actions for a moment, but his lips soon curved upward into a smirk. He reached up, grabbing Leorio’s tie to pull him forward. Their lips connected heatedly, lewd sounds filling the office as they moaned through the firm press of mouths. The knot in Leorio’s chest swelled, then died down once their tongues began to dance. They nipped, sucked, lapped, and squashed until they were out of breath. They pulled apart, panting in each other’s faces, both smiling. 

“Think of that as a reward for a job well done,” Leorio teased hoarsely. 

Kurapika wrapped his arms around Leorio’s neck, laughing breathlessly. They stayed still until Kurapika hummed.“Mind if I come home with you again?” he said lowly as if hinting at something, but then he corrected himself, “Just to keep up on things and of course if Gon calls again...” 

Leorio laughed, out of breath. “Is that it?” he asked back just as huskily.

Kurapika chuckled before looking away shyly. “We’ll see…” 

That was good enough for Leorio. The two of them parted to finish up their day. Leorio kept himself busy with casework to keep his mind off Gon. Kurapika reviewed some of the more recent Phantom Troupe evidence to try and pinpoint where they could be located. Time flew by at the station, and before they knew it, it was 1am and they were climbing into Leorio’s old truck to head home. 

When they walked into his house Leorio saw Kurapika getting the couch ready to sleep on. The couch was only meant for two people and it wasn’t a pull-out, so it didn’t look all that comfy. He certainly couldn’t sleep on it without waking up with back pain. There wasn’t really an alternative though unless…

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he approached Kurapika. “Hey…” 

Kurapika was fluffing a pillow when he spoke. Once he was done and had placed it on the couch, he turned to Leorio. “Hmm?” 

“If you want just so you don’t have to sleep on that lumpy couch because I know it’s hard for you to sleep on it,” he rambled before shaking his head and rubbing his face. He decided to just spit it out. “Would you like to sleep upstairs with me?” he asked, peeking out of his fingers. 

Kurapika was a bit taken back by the bold statement, but all they were going to do is sleep, right? He was really tired of this worn-out couch. He blushed lightly, then nodded his head. “Yeah, that’d be,” he laughed, “a lot better actually.”

Leorio honestly didn’t expect Kurapika to agree, but he did offer. The two of them headed up the stairs silently, a little awkward. Leorio let Kurapika borrow some more of his clothes, this time sleepwear. Then, he headed into the bathroom to change himself. Kurapika was still blushing as he changed. He pulled the shirt on as soon as Leorio walked back out. They settled into bed back to back, looking away from each other. Leorio felt so tense in his own bed, but at the same time, it felt nice to share a bed with someone else. It was always so lonely in this big house all by himself. Kurapika’s gentle warmth was much appreciated. Eventually, he was able to calm down, relishing in that warmth, and drift off into a deep slumber.  

Kurapika was blushing to the tips of his ears the entire time. He couldn’t calm down until he heard Leorio’s loud snoring, letting him know that the other was sound asleep. He breathed out, relaxing finally. He liked being able to sleep with someone else, so he wouldn’t have to feel so alone, feel so afraid on his own. He liked it so much that he went to scoot even closer to Leorio when his phone vibrated on the nightstand. He shot up to snatch it, not wanting to wake Leorio. He held the phone tightly in his fist as it continued to ring, making sure the other was still asleep. Leorio didn’t even flinch, just snored a little bit louder. 

Kurapika answered the phone quietly. “Hello…?” 

“Mr. Kurta, we got an anonymous tip saying that Chrollo Lucilfer was down by the dock. We’ve been getting calls all day, but this one seems reliable. They not only described Chrollo, but a few other members of the troupe as well.”

Kurapika felt his heart beat faster. His breath hitched. Could this be it? Will he finally confront the murderers who took his family away from him? His hands started shaking. What should he do? His head felt like it was going to start pounding, a million possibilities running through his mind as fast as they could. This was  _ it. His one chance _ . He felt like he was going to burst when suddenly Leorio’s snoring snapped him out of it. His mind went blank as he gazed down at the peaceful man beside him. He breathed again, the tension leaving his body. 

“Set up a stake out down there and call me back if you see anything. I’ll be in the office tomorrow. I’ll try and take a shift down there.” He hung up, settling back into bed, pressing his back to Leorio’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like this chapter was more of a filler than anything, oops. At least you got some good Leopika kissing and blushing thrown in there! The plot must go on though. The next chapter is the end! The dramatic conclusion! All shall be revealed tomorrow~. Any guesses as to what's going to happen? While writing this fic I felt like the plot was really predictable, but a got a few of my friends to read it and they didn't pick up on a lot of the stuff I thought was super glaring, so hopefully the plot isn't as see-through as I thought! So, be prepared for some major surprises tomorrow and a roller coaster of emotions!


	6. The Right Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to the thrilling conclusion of my HXHBB 2017 fic! I've had so much fun writing, chatting with the other authors, editing, and anxiously waiting my artwork. It's been an awesome ride and I'm so glad I made the decision back in January to do this. I'm so glad I stuck with it no matter how many times I wanted to throw in the towel and just give up. Hopefully, I'll be able to participate in this again next year! Maybe I'll reach the 50k limit or do even more than that. Maybe I'll decide to be an artist next year. Who knows! But, as I said before, this was a truly wonderful experience that showed me I can do much longer works, so hopefully I'll be able to start working on another long fic over the summer. 
> 
> I finally received my artwork! @toomuchhisoka posted it yesterday, but I was busy, so I didn't have time to edit the last two chapters and post them. I would put her art in the fic, but I want to give credit where credit is due, so here's the link: https://toomuchhisoka.tumblr.com/post/161295190828/heres-my-works-for-aint-all-its-cut-out-to-be
> 
> This art is all I could have ever asked for. I was literally shaking and hyperventilating when I saw it. Artists were only required to do one picture for the stories, but she did three and a bonus comic! Though, the bonus comic has spoilers for this chapter, so don't read it just yet! They drew all the good scenes including the rain one! They're all beautiful works of art, so click that link and like and reblog! I sent them a message to show how much I appreciated it and to thank them. They said they would love to collaborate in the future, so maybe expect more things like this? That'd be so cool oh my godddd. I'm going to quit gushing while I'm ahead, haha. 
> 
> Anyways, this is the final emotionally charged chapter! What all will be revealed? Let's dive in!

Leorio was the first one to wake up. He actually woke up a few minutes before his alarm clock, which was a bit strange, but he was grateful for it as soon as he opened his eyes. As he blinked the sleep away he noticed Kurapika sleeping softly beside him. He panicked for a moment, thinking they had had sex, but his memory quickly came back to him. He had asked if Kurapika wanted to sleep in his bed since the couch was so uncomfortable that was all. He relaxed, admiring how tranquil Kurapika looked next to him. A few strands of blond hair fell over his face. His plump lips were parted slightly as he breathed gingerly. Leorio became so entranced by Kurapika’s beauty that he jolted when the shrill sound of the alarm blasted throughout the room. 

“Fuck!” he cursed as he smacked the damn thing off. He glared at it, but then heard a low noise. 

He turned back around to see Kurapika nuzzling his face into the pillow, features scrunching. Big gray eyes fluttered open, focusing on him. 

“Sorry…” 

Kurapika yawned. “Good morning, Leorio.” He stretched his legs out underneath the blankets. 

“Sleep well?”

Kurapika smiled. “Yes, much better than that old couch.” 

Leorio laughed, but his chipper mood soon faded away as he remembered what today was. His expression fell as he looked intently down at the sheets. “It’s Friday…” His stomach churned with anxiety, fearing for Gon. That boy deserved nothing but happiness. He hated that the kid got caught up in this awful situation all because of him. 

“Today’s the big day it seems…” Kurapika trailed off, looking ahead as if lost in thought. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. “I got a phone call last night. Chrollo Lucilfer was spotted down at the dock. I set up a stake-out. I’ll have to take a shift today.” 

Leorio nodded. This could be a major break for Kurapika. A chance to get some closure, to serve justice. Perhaps he could finally get rid of all that anger in his heart, all that sorrow. “Today really is the day, huh?” 

Kurapika remained silent, gaze far-off, probably remembering the tragedy of his past. Leorio didn’t like that look on his face, the one that made all his features sink in like he was much older than he was. He reached out to take Kurapika’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb into his skin. 

“It’ll be okay, though, because we’ve got each other.” 

At that, Kurapika finally smiled, leaning over to place a soft peck on Leorio’s lips. 

“Now, I could get used to this,” Leorio ended with a chuckle.

The two of them decided to make breakfast together this morning since they had both taken a turn previously. It was easy to maneuver about the kitchen even with another person in the way. They made eggs, bacon, and toast; something simple to start the day. When they went to get dressed Leorio handed Kurapika an old suit on command, the action already a routine. Leorio forgot his anxiety for the moment, the two of them chatting leisurely as he drove them to the station. But soon, they parted ways, leaving Leorio alone with his thoughts. 

For Leorio, the day was like any other. Officers and detectives were working their asses of trying to solve the plethora of cases presented to them, but no new evidence had been discovered. The assassination of Mr. Schryer had gone cold. Nothing had been heard from the serial killer since his murder of the mayor yesterday. The Magician had made no public appearances since the protest on Sunday, but Leorio knew he was still up to no good from the letter he received and the confrontation they had. The Magician still had Gon. Normally, this would have been an easy day for Leorio, but without any distractions his anxiety over the boy only heightened. He couldn’t stop thinking about him and what those two psychopaths might have been doing to him. He was so anxious that he was shaking, pacing around the station like a madman. He didn’t want to take any sleeping pills because he needed to have a clear head when he met The Magician tonight. But, he was so desperate for the tablets in his desk drawer that he ended up flushing them down one of the toilets to keep him from polluting his own head. 

Kurapika took his shift at the stake-out around 12pm, heading down to Diamond Bay. He brought his lunch with him and the cops before him left some snacks in the car; a true stake-out wasn’t complete without food. The car was hidden behind some box cars in front of Warehouse 14 where the Troupe was allegedly staying. Nobody had yet to come in or out of the building, but the stake-out continued. Kurapika prayed that this wasn’t just some bogus tip, but how could it be when the person had described both Chrollo and the other members? Kurapika stayed in the car until 4pm when he reluctantly left. He wanted to be the first one on the scene. _ He had to be _ . He made sure every officer on the case knew how to contact him immediately, if they were to witness anything.  _ He had to be the one to bring down the Troupe, the one to avenge his family.  _

Kurapika grudgingly headed back to the station in order to interrogate Shalnark once again. Thanks to his little slip up yesterday, they were able to detain him even longer under suspicion. When he walked in though he noticed a very different atmosphere than the one before. Shalnark was tense and Mr. Midori looked like he was fuming on the inside. There was no smug look today. Kurapika plopped himself down in front of them, flinging his folder onto the table. 

“Just a simple question today, Mr. Kuniyoshi.” He pulled out a photo of the dock and one of the individual warehouse. “Do either of these two places seem familiar?” 

All Shalnark said was “no”. He kept his lips pressed together. 

“Have you ever heard of either of these places? Diamond Bay, Warehouse 14?” 

“No.” 

“So, this is all completely new to you?” 

“Yes.” 

Kurapika narrowed his eyes, eyebrows gathered. Shalnark was a lot less talkative today. He glanced at Mr. Midori who was leaning back in his seat, arms over his chest, a small smile tugging at his lips. Everything clicked. After yesterday’s incident, Mr. Midori obviously told Shalnark to keep his mouth shut, say nothing more than what was necessary. Shalnark was responding in clipped answers as to not slip up again. 

Kurapika let out a breath quickly through his parted lips, sounding frustrated. “That’ll be all for today.” 

He knew he wouldn’t get anything out of Shalnark like this. Mr. Midori had instilled a fear in him that will prevent him from speaking out of turn. He’d have to come up with a new plan to get Shalnark to talk, although he may not have to considering the stake-out. Hopefully, they’d find something soon. He packed up his photos and left.  

On his way back to his office, Kurapika ran into Leorio who was still madly pacing around the station. Leorio’s face was flushed and he was mumbling to himself. Kurapika was instantly concerned for him knowing that he was probably worried about Gon. 

“Leorio, are you okay?” he asked quietly as he came up to him. 

Leorio was shaking badly. His thoughts were like a hurricane. He couldn’t stop thinking about Gon and what was going to happen tonight. He kept imagining all the bad things that could happen,  _ unspeakable  _ things, things he didn’t want to fucking imagine, but they kept coming and coming. His mind jumped from one bad situation to another, the majority of them resulting in Gon’s death. It was enough to make him sick his stomach. He’d never be able to live with himself, if he was the reason Gon died. 

He didn’t notice Kurapika at first, but then he looked up at him with wide, shaky eyes. “Huh, what?” 

Kurapika sighed. He looked around to make sure no one was watching them. Once he saw that the coast was clear, he reached out for Leorio’s hand. “Come with me,” he said as he dragged the other back to his office. He could feel how badly Leorio was trembling from his hand. He made sure it squeeze it reassuringly. The shaking slowed slightly. 

When they were alone in his office Kurapika wrapped his arms around Leorio’s frame, hugging him tightly in order to relax him. “It’s all going to be okay. I’m right here, remember? We can do this together,” he whispered, trying to console himself in the process. 

Leorio let out a deep breath, then reciprocated Kurapika’s actions. They held each other for a long moment, allowing Leorio’s shaking to stop and his stomach to settle. He rested his chin on top of Kurapika’s head, shutting his eyes to compose himself. 

“You’re right, you’re right…”

They stayed like for a while, both relying on the other’s strength. 

* * *

At 7:15pm, they both clocked out. Nothing had really happened today, so they were free to leave. Some of Leorio’s anxiety from earlier returned as they made their way to his truck, but one glance at Kurapika’s determined visage gave him all the strength he needed. They slowly made their way to the address, the entire car ride silent. They were both tense and anxious about this encounter since they had no idea what to expect. Kurapika reminded him earlier that they most likely wanted Gon alive for whatever exchange they had in mind. That thought helped... _ slightly _ . Leorio had his Beretta Model 92 pistol hidden in his coat while Kurapika’s was concealed at his waist. They both prayed they wouldn’t have to use violence, but if it came down it so be it; they were prepared. 

They headed out of the city. The house was like Leorio’s in that it was on the outskirts of Padokea, not a good sign. It was the only house around for a good mile. It was two stories and while it was no mansion, it was certainly lavish with a manicured lawn and columns on the tiled porch. Not what they expected. Leorio parked in the driveway at exactly 7:59pm. He took in a deep breath, taking in the house before them, and then turning to Kurapika who was just as determined as he was in the parking lot. 

Kurapika smiled warmly. “Let’s do this.” 

Leorio smirked, feeling a bit better with Kurapika by his side. They made their way out of Leorio’s truck, heading towards the front entrance cautiously. Leorio rung the doorbell first with no answer. Then, he knocked loudly, but still nothing. Kurapika lifted up his shirt to reveal his weapon about to pull it out when Leorio stopped him. He held his hand out to Kurapika as his other one reached out for the doorknob. It was unlocked. They stepped inside in what appeared to be a foyer with yellow carpeting and expensive decorations like vases and plants set up here and there. All the lights in the house were on. 

Looking around, Kurapika tapped Leorio’s shoulder after a moment. He turned around to see Kurapika pointing at some arrows hanging up on the walls. It looked just like The Magician’s handiwork. Carefully, the two of them followed the arrows, Leorio leading. The arrows led them down the foyer, then to the left. They entered a spacious kitchen complete with an ornate, glass dining table that was longer than it was wide. On the table was a place card with Leorio’s name on it written with a glittery pink gel pen. Leorio took a seat in front of his card, glaring at it. Kurapika sat in the seat beside him, composed yet anxious. Leorio’s foot started tapping as he became extremely impatient, stomach bubbling. 

They were sitting at one end of the dining table that faced a doorway leading out of the kitchen in front of them. Eventually, a silhouette appeared in the doorway, making them both stiffen. Illumi stepped into the kitchen alone. He was dressed business casually in a sweater and dress pants. He was surprised to see Kurapika at the table with Leorio. 

“Didn’t Hisoka tell you to come alone?”

Leorio gulped. He’d never spoken to Illumi Zoldyck, but he had seen him plenty of times. He was the family member that was always most suspected of any assassinations. Leorio wasn’t sure if that was because he committed the crime, or if his creepy appearance simply made him more suspicious. 

Illumi stared owlishly at them with his wide, dark eyes. Leorio remained firm. “He did not, but this is Kurapika Kurta, one of my lead detectives. He is close to Gon as well.” 

Illumi hummed, tilting his head slightly. “I see...Well, welcome to our humble abode.” Illumi stepped forward and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Now, I understand that Hisoka was a bit rash. You’ll have to forgive him. He is very unpredictable. I give him clear instructions, but he fails to follow them.” Illumi sighed, obviously frustrated with the other. 

Leorio raised a brow. Illumi seemed so comfortable with their situation as if they weren’t talking life and death. 

“In any case, please keep an open mind when we make our case. We just want what’s best for us.” 

Leorio nodded, still confused. Kurapika was still stiff, hands on the table, fingers laced together. 

Illumi nodded as well before turning his head to look over his shoulder. “Hisoka…” 

Hisoka walked into the kitchen, brows tilted down, lips pouting. Gon was in his arms, appearing unharmed. He was clinging to Hisoka, his small arms wrapped around the other’s neck. He looked frightened, eyes wide and shifting constantly. 

“Gon!” Leorio shouted with a grin, placing his palms on the table as if he were going to jump up. 

The boy smiled softly at Leorio, but didn’t go to move. He waved gently. “Hey, Leorio…” 

Illumi stood as Hisoka walked up next to him. Illumi saw the downtrodden look on Hisoka’s face. It didn’t belong there. His lover was hardly ever sad. There was always a curvy grin etched onto his features. And while Illumi found it annoying, now he wished for it to return. He hated seeing his lover so. He leaned in to peck Hisoka’s lips, which Hisoka shyly responded to. When Illumi pulled back he ruffled Gon’s hair, making the boy giggle. 

At this point, Leorio was completely bewildered. He didn’t understand what the fuck was going on. Why didn’t Gon come running to him? Why were these psychos acting so casual? It frustrated him to no end and his short temper couldn’t handle it. This wasn’t some goddamn game. 

“What the hell is going on here?” he demanded in a harsh tone that had Gon clinging to Hisoka even more so. Leorio blinked, relaxing his features when he saw that he was scaring the boy. 

Illumi turned to Gon. “Gon, would you care to explain?” 

Gon was hesitant at first, but eventually he spoke. “Hisoka and Illumi...They’re my  _ new  _ parents. They love me a lot. I want to stay with them.” 

“You what?” Leorio practically screamed, quickly growing furious. This was some kind of sick joke, wasn’t it? The Magician was always messing with his head. This was just another instance of it. He won’t stand for this bullshit.  His temper was rising. His gaze was deadly, teeth clenched, vein popping on his forehead. He slammed his fist down onto the table hard enough to make it shake. Hisoka gripped Gon tighter. 

“You can’t be fucking serious! You can’t live with them! They’re-”  _ Murderers _ . That’s what he was going to say before being interrupted.

“I know!” Gon yelled back, voice strong for someone his age, face stern. He lifted his head off of Hisoka’s shoulder, glaring back at Leorio. “I know Illumi and Hisoka have done bad things. I helped them with some!” 

At the look on Leorio’s face, Hisoka interjected. “Nothing too dangerous…”

“We would never put Gon in harm’s way,” Illumi added. 

Gon nodded eagerly. “All I did was get them information from you! I would look through your files or you would tell me details about certain things when I came to the station…” 

“You were the leak..?” Leorio asked in disbelief, jaw dropping as pieces of the puzzle finally started to connect. 

Kurapika listened on to all the information presented to him. He would take a detective’s stance on this situation. He’d hear all the information before saying anything. He believed he knew where all of this was leading to though. 

Illumi took over for Gon at this point. “For a long time, I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. I carried out every assassination mission he gave me and executed it flawlessly, but my brother, Killua, was the one who received all of the attention. He was already at my level and steadily improving at 10. He had more potential, so I was pushed to the side. This is when I started to think I didn’t want to live this life. Hisoka was the one to finally convince me to end my evil ways. We quickly fell in love and desired a child of our own. We both knew we would have to put our criminal pasts behind us, if we were to have a family. We both fell in love with Gon the moment we saw him. He was such a happy child despite his circumstances. We knew we could give him the love he deserved, but we couldn’t do that if we were in jail.” 

Hisoka spoke up. “We devised a simple plan. Distract the police and force them into a corner.” 

Illumi nodded. “The Magician’s antics and my family’s assassinations were useful, but not enough. Hisoka and I decided to begin killing off corrupt officials, ones who obeyed my father, under the guise of a new serial killer to further tie up the police and to also get back at Silva. But, we still needed someone on the inside and from our numerous visits with Gon we learned that he had police connections.” 

Leorio’s head was spinning, but everything was falling into place. He was speechless. How could all of this just slip under their radars? Such an ingenious plan, but at the same time,  _ so simple _ .  

“So, when I visited...you were with  _ them _ ?” he asked quietly, not really knowing what else to say. 

Gon nodded, cuddling back up to Hisoka, big brown eyes wide. 

“Gon agreed to be our informant, so that he could eventually live with us in peace. From his information, we coordinated our attacks, overwhelming the police until you were forced to come here and hear us out. Now, three of your biggest cases can just be forgotten about, if you agree to give me and Hisoka immunity for our crimes. We both promise to never commit another crime on purpose. And, if we do commit a crime willingly, feel free to take us to jail, but we want a clean slate. A chance to live a happy life... _ with Gon _ .” 

Hisoka agreed. “I can spread my messages in more productive ways. There’s no  _ more  _ need for violence.” 

Gon sniffled, drawing everyone’s attention. Gon was staring directly into Leorio’s eyes as tears welled up in his own. “Please, Leorio...I’m so happy here. I finally have a home and a _family_. I know that...I know that my dad is never coming back for me, so I want another chance too! But, I can’t have that chance, if you don’t forgive them!”   

Gon’s plea was desperate, sobbing by the time he finished talking. He buried his face into Hisoka’s neck, fat tears rolling down his cheeks; Leorio had never seen him cry. Hisoka shushed him, rubbing his back. His own eyes looked glossy. Illumi’s expression didn’t change, but he was staring Leorio down, awaiting his decision. 

The air was tense, too thick to breathe in. A heavy burden weighed down on Leorio’s shoulders. He always tried to be the best police officer he could be despite Padokea’s horde of demons. While he lost hope long ago that this city would ever change that didn’t mean he was any less committed to serving justice. He just knew it was an endless struggle. He would never fully win the war. He still had high moral standards except for his drug addiction though he justified it as a necessary evil to get his job done. If he granted Hisoka and Illumi immunity, he would be a dirty cop. He would be sweeping evidence under the rug. It would forever haunt his conscious. But, Gon had never seemed happier. He could easily adopt the boy himself and lock Hisoka and Illumi up, yet Gon was so attached to them. Surely, he would never be the same, growing up to resent Leorio and perhaps heading down the path of a criminal himself. He didn’t know what to do. The answer was not set in stone. It was his call, as the chief of police, to do what was  _ right _ . 

Kurapika interrupted his thinking by clearing his throat. “If I may add my own opinion, I believe immunity should be granted. Look, Leorio. I know what they’ve done is atrocious. Even though those officials were corrupt and the mayor was a jackass, a life is a life.” He stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath in through his nose. “ _ But _ , they seem ready to redeem themselves. Illumi couldn’t help growing up with a family of assassins and Hisoka only killed when it proved necessary to secure Gon. Gon is safe for the time being with them and he gets to have a happy home and family. And, you get two hardened criminals off your back. Nobody knows what happened here except us. You can let the cases go cold with none the wiser. I think it would be the  _ right  _ thing to do albeit it is illegal,” he concluded. 

Leorio went to speak, but Kurapika’s phone then rang. He snapped up, looking to Illumi for permission to answer it. Once the Zoldyck nodded, he whipped out his phone. “Detective Kurta.”

“We’ve spotted Chrollo Lucilfer and a few other members heading into the warehouse. We are asking you how to proceed.” 

Kurapika froze. This was it. This was his chance to take down the whole Troupe once and for all. He could finally get revenge for his family’s tragic deaths. He could be the one to apprehend Chrollo Lucilfer. 

His voice came out calm, but laced with venom. “Prepare the S.W.A.T Team. Have them surround not only the warehouse but the whole dock. Make sure they don’t draw attention to themselves.” Kurapika hung up, standing to leave, but Leorio grabbed his wrist. 

Kurapika turned to him, something malevolent gleaming in his pupils. Leorio’s lips parted. Kurapika had never looked so angry,  _ so bloodthirsty _ . He remembered the red eyes in the other’s apartment, and for a moment, he thought he saw Kurapika’s sclera turn  _ red _ . 

“I’m going with you,” he declared. He promised to be there for Kurapika. 

Kurapika’s nose crinkled, baring his teeth. “Then, let’s  _ go _ ,” he almost snarled, ripping his wrist from Leorio. 

The two of them stood to leave, but when they turned around they saw Illumi was blocking their path. He saw this coming, and like the expert assassin he was, moved in the way before they could bolt. 

“I’m afraid you won’t be leaving until we hear your answer.”

Kurapika looked ready to pull his gun out on Illumi right then and there. He somehow refrained from doing so, instead turning to Leorio with a growl. “Leorio!” 

He was grateful he didn’t take those pills after all. His head was already swimming enough. Put on the spot, he began to sweat. He still wasn’t sure about his decision. Was Gon even safe here? With  _ murderers _ ? Technically speaking though, he was a murderer himself, having shot plenty of criminals in his day. Wouldn’t he have to eventually apprehend the corrupt officials anyways? Maybe even take their lives himself? Had Hisoka and Illumi really done him a favor in this way? And, the two of them had kept Gon safe these past few days. This was better than being in a foster home or moving from house to house. The house wasn’t falling apart and Illumi probably had more than enough money for the three of them for the rest of their lives. He could always visit too, couldn’t he? 

Thanks to Kurapika’s earlier logic and the pressing matter at hand, Leorio finally made up his mind. “I’ll grant you both immunity as long as you never commit another crime like you said. And, if I find out Gon isn’t in the right hands... _ I won’t hesitate to take that immunity away _ ,” he threatened. 

Gon gasped behind them, squealing with delight as he hugged Hisoka harder. Hisoka began laughing himself, twirling Gon around as he held him high up in the air. Illumi stepped out of the way to let the two officers rush out. He looked at his lover and  _ child _ . A small smile of his own slipped onto his face. 

_ Their plan had worked _ . 

* * *

Leorio tried to forget about what he just did in favor of focusing on the task at hand. Gon was safe for now. He could check back up on him later once they apprehended these scumbags. He flipped on his siren, skidding out of the driveway. Kurapika was rigid in the passenger seat. His eyes were unwavering as he gazed out at the road ahead of them. Leorio was worried that the detective was going to do something he would regret, which was why he needed to come along. He had to be there for Kurapika. The other had that look in his eyes, the look of a madman. He remembered the conversation they had on his porch. He’d make sure Kurapika did the right thing. 

They arrived at Diamond Bay in under ten minutes thanks to his siren. He cut it off as they approached the entrance. There was a S.W.A.T. member stationed there. They leapt from the truck, flashing him their badges. He nodded briskly at them before leading them to Warehouse 14. The entire building was heavily surrounded with S.W.A.T. lurking behind every corner. The member in front of them took them to the captain who was stationed behind a box car in front of the warehouse. 

“Paladiknight, nice to see you again so soon,” he joked gruffly. 

“Has anything happened?” Kurapika asked as they squatted down next to him. 

The captain’s countenance turned serious. “Nothing. Nobody in or out. Officers saw Lucilfer and the members enter at 8:34pm. S.W.A.T. was here at 8:42pm. The officers didn’t witness anything else.” 

“Good. They should still be in there then. Have S.W.A.T. move in. Then, announce our presence over the megaphone.” 

The captain nodded before getting on his walkie talkie. He instructed the team around the warehouse to move in closer. Once they were in position he pulled out his megaphone. “This is the police. You are surrounded. Come out slowly with your hands up!” 

Kurapika got his gun out and ready, which prompted Leorio to do the same. They all knew the Troupe wouldn’t come out willingly. He swore he could hear both of their hearts beating in those few seconds before the gunfire rang out. He kept his vision trained on Kurapika, marveling at his firm stature, the precision of his stance. He looked perfectly composed out here behind the boxcar, but Leorio knew that could change in an instant just like he had done when he walked into the auction house only to be greeted by corpses. The firing in the background continued on for some time, each bullet adding to their mounting anxiety. But, eventually, it grew silent. 

The captain’s walkie went off. “All members apprehended. Lucilfer is still inside the warehouse.” 

The captain went to instruct his team further when Kurapika spoke up. “Me and Leorio will go in and apprehend him.” 

“If you’re not out in five minutes, I’m sending my boys in!” 

Kurapika couldn’t let S.W.A.T. do everything for him. He had to take out Chrollo himself. He wouldn’t be able to live, if he didn’t avenge his family this way. He said a quick prayer in his head before darting across the dock to the warehouse entrance, Leorio following closely behind. The chief was on high alert, watching out for Kurapika because he didn’t think the other was looking out for himself. He was so focused on taking Chrollo out that he was going to get himself killed or use deadly force when it wasn’t necessary. Leorio couldn’t let that happen.  _ Not to Kurapika _ . 

The two of them tentatively entered the warehouse, guns aimed and ready. The warehouse was teeming with boxes, so much so, that they had to navigate through them like a maze. Some of the boxes were opened, revealing the vast treasures they contained. These were most likely the items stolen from the auction house on Tuesday. They snuck around the dozen of containers only to emerge near the back of the warehouse. When they approached the back wall they noticed a man standing there in a long black coat with fur around the collar. He looked bored, unperturbed. 

Kurapika recognized him immediately as Chrollo Lucilfer, the man who orchestrated the death of his family. He aimed his gun at him with a jerk. “Police! Hands up!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, his heart beat ringing in his ears. Leorio stood beside Kurapika, taking aim as well, much more professionally with a wide stance; his confrontation with Hisoka made him that much more cautious with his aim.  

Chrollo looked over the two of them. His eyes widened slightly, blinking. “I suppose this means the others failed…” 

“Hands up or I will shoot!” Kurapika shrieked. 

Leorio eyed him out of his peripheral vision. 

Chrollo chuckled with his eyes closed, still not bothered. He raised his hands delicately. “Fine, fine. Happy?” 

Kurapika stepped closer to get a better view of Chrollo. He kept his gun aimed at him as he moved unsteadily, looking like he was going to stumble. Leorio followed, completely stoic. Once Kurapika was only a few feet away from Chrollo he stopped. He’d recognize that tattoo anywhere, the cross on his forehead. How ironic that someone so vile would brandish the Lord’s symbol on his face. There was a brief flash of a memory as he gazed at Chrollo’s face, which he hadn’t seen in 23 years. He watched his mother fall to the ground, blood spewing. He heard the cries and moans of his family as they met their untimely end. His heart beat faster. His mouth became dry. 

“Chrollo Lucilfer…,” he spat, “Do you know who I am?”

Chrollo seemed taken aback by the question. “No idea…”

Kurapika huffed through his nostrils, voice reverberating in the warehouse as he said, “My name is Kurapika  _ Kurta _ .” 

Chrollo’s eyes widened fully this time. A smirk stretched out across his lips, fiendish in nature. He laughed lowly. “Kurta, huh? Yes, I remember now...I didn’t think there were any left. I assumed we  _ killed  _ them all off. Their eyes certainly did fetch a pretty price though…” 

As Chrollo spoke, Kurapika’s gun shook in his hands. Images of the past flashed through his vision: his father’s warm embrace, his mother’s pearly white smile, and his siblings’ laughter. All of that stripped away from him by the man in front of him. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. He was shaking profusely, every fiber of his being screaming out with hatred for  _ Chrollo Lucilfer _ .  _ He had to get revenge _ . The energy of his long dead family filled him, their screams of terror in the back of his mind spurring him on. He forgot everything around him, tunnel vision aimed on Chrollo. With a vicious, clogged cry, Kurapika pulled the trigger. 

Leorio knew Kurapika was going to shoot. He could tell from the way his gun shook the same way Leorio’s did when he confronted Hisoka. He saw the red flicker in Kurapika’s pupils and knew what he had to do. He had to make Kurapika do the right thing. He had to keep his ass out of jail and help him arrest this demon like he was meant to. 

Leorio lowered his own weapon just as Kurapika screeched. He grabbed his wrist, lifting his gun up so the shot barely missed Chrollo’s shoulder. Kurapika’s gun was shaking so hard in his hand that Leorio was surprised he didn’t drop it. Tears streamed down Kurapika’s face like a flood, each sob looking painful. Leorio breathed a quick sigh of relief, but not for long. He turned back around to see Chrollo taking this opportunity to flee. 

Leorio aimed his own gun at him. “Halt!” he yelled. 

Of course, Chrollo continued to run towards the back entrance to the warehouse. Leorio held his gun in both hands, aim steady. He was about to shoot Chrollo in the leg to stop him when the S.W.A.T. bursted in. They kicked down the door in the back. Some filed in from behind the containers while others shattered windows to get inside. Chrollo turned this way and that, looking for an opening, but when he saw that he was surrounded he finally surrendered, throwing his hands up as numerous guns were aimed at him. 

Leorio smiled at the turn of events, turning to Kurapika who had fallen to his knees. The detective was still sobbing, practically hyperventilating. Leorio couldn’t let him miss out on his chance. He threw his own gun down and knelt down to help Kurapika up from under his armpits. Once the other was back onto his feet, Leorio grabbed his face in both of his hands, thumbs wiping away some of his tears. 

“C’mon, apprehend this motherfucker,” he whispered harshly.  

Kurapika was still sobbing, but he nodded eagerly. He reached around his waist, pulling out the handcuffs he kept around his belt. Leorio helped him walk up to Chrollo, sifting through the wall of S.W.A.T. members to get to the criminal. Kurapika ended up stumbling over to Chrollo on his own, snatching the man’s arms roughly and pulling them down behind his back. He calmly listed off his Miranda rights, sniffling quietly. He handcuffed him, taking one last hard look at the crook who had evaded him for so long before he let the S.W.A.T. Team whisk him away. 

The S.W.A.T. Team filed out, leaving the two of them alone in the warehouse. Kurapika began sobbing again, this time even harder. It was over. Finally,  _ over. _ Both he and his family could rest in peace now knowing the last remaining Kurta had apprehended their killer. 

He looked up at Leorio with puffy eyes. “I-I didn’t do the  _ right  _ t-thing.”

Leorio captured him into a warm embrace, shushing him. “It’s okay because I was there to  _ make  _ you do the right thing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is is you guys. The finale~! Chapter 6 required the most editing because I wrote it so fast, haha! I was both inspired and desperately wanting to finish this fic at the time, so it makes sense. Did this fic go the direction that you thought it would? @toomuchhisoka was not expecting this at all, but was pleased all the same. My friends couldn't figure out that the serial killer was actually Hisoka and Illumi and one friend didn't realize that Gon was the leak. Was it predictable to you guys? I'd really like to know~. I will posting the epilogue right after this. 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me on this fic and showing me your support! Expect a lot more from me in the future!


	7. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little short and sweet epilogue to show off everyone's lives after the fact~. 
> 
> The artwork for this fic can be found at this link, if you haven't already checked it out! 
> 
> https://toomuchhisoka.tumblr.com/post/161295190828/heres-my-works-for-aint-all-its-cut-out-to-be

“Good evening, Padokea. This is Miranda Chang with your daily news. Padokea City has always been a hotbed for crime, but the incidents that occurred just three weeks prior are still leaving their mark on our city. While the notorious Phantom Troupe was finally apprehended by Detective Kurta, after their horrific massacre at the Padokea Auction House, at Diamond Bay, other cases seem to have run cold for the police. The assassination of Mr. Schryer, like most in Padokea, has yet to be solved. The Magician has disappeared without a trace. And, the infamous serial killer who left our fair city without a mayor and many other public officials, has also vanished. While the empty positions have now been filled all of Padokea is still wondering: what happened to these terrifying criminals? Many theories have surfaced concer-” 

“Will you turn that shit off?” Leorio yelled as he strolled into the house on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Kurapika chuckled, grabbing the remote to turn the TV off. He had been bored while Leorio was away and the TV seemed like the only cure. He watched Leorio dart past him and into the kitchen. He got up to follow. “How was Gon?” 

Leorio headed into the kitchen with a piece of construction paper in hand. He walked up to the fridge, grabbed a spare magnet, and hung the piece of paper up amongst many others. It was a hand-drawn picture of Gon and Leorio holding hands. Leorio was dressed in his suit, but his police badge was showing. He was even wearing an officer’s hat. There was a small green dinosaur in between them on the ground. Kurapika was off in the background to Leorio’s side, smiling widely. To Gon’s side were Illumi and Hisoka who seemed to be holding each other. They were smiling as well. The whole picture was kiddy and crude, but adorable all the same. It was on top of other pictures Gon had sent home with Leorio. He always promised to hang them up as soon as he got back.

Leorio grinned at it, stepping back to admire it before turning his attention to Kurapika. “He was happy as always. Jumping around and playing with the other kids at the park. Illumi and Hisoka helped him on the equipment some, but I took over for them, so they could have some alone time. They came back with ice cream for us.” Leorio laughed and shook his head. “I never thought this would be how I spent my Sundays. Hanging out with criminals…” 

“ _ Reformed _ criminals,” Kurapika pointed out, smiling too. 

“Still criminals.” Leorio chuckled, moving closer to wrap his arms around Kurapika’s waist. He nuzzled their noses. 

Kurapika laughed, wrapping his own arms around Leorio’s neck. They were quiet for a moment before Kurapika looked down at Leorio’s lips. Leorio seemed to read his mind as they both leaned forward to share a brief, but firm kiss. Kurapika was the first one to pull away after several seconds seeing as Leorio obviously wanted to take it further as he always did. 

“Are you ready to put the last addition up?” 

Leorio huffed, kissing Kurapika’s cheek sloppily. He didn’t want it to end so fast. “Yeah, yeah,” he agreed anyways, releasing the other. 

Kurapika headed upstairs to retrieve the item while Leorio waited by the front door. He never thought he would see the day where he was this happy. Everything changed so quickly. Just a month ago he was depressed because he had no one in his life. Now, he had plenty. The city was still as busy as ever. Crime never stopped, but at least he had a number of people to fall back on including a lover. 

Kurapika came bounding down the steps, a large object in hand that was covered by a cloth. Leorio opened the door for him, so they could head outside towards the barn. Leorio continued being a gentleman by opening up the barn doors for Kurapika as well. He followed the other inside. 

The barn had been renovated slightly since Kurapika had soon moved in with Leorio after the capture of the Phantom Troupe. He was tired of living on his own and in despair as was Leorio. But, to move Kurapika in, they had to find a place for his collection. Wanting the eyes out of sight and out of mind, Leorio fixed up the barn slightly to accommodate the collection. The entire back wall housed them now. Leorio had also stopped using his sleeping pills as much. Kurapika helped him with his drug addiction and he helped Kurapika control his alcoholic tendencies. They were good for each other like that. They hid their vices in the chest in the barn, hoping one day they wouldn’t rely on them at all. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Kurapika took a deep breath before stepping forward. He removed the cloth to reveal another jar with two scarlet eyes floating eerily in goo. Leorio was long since used to the organs by now, not even flinching as their pupils seemed to bore holes into him. They knew Leorio had taken care of their last heir. Kurapika gazed down at the eyes softly, sadly. He caressed the glass, a plethora of emotions displayed in his own gray eyes. A few tears welled up in their corners. 

“Welcome home…,” he uttered under his breath as he heaved it up onto the shelf,  _ the final jar _ . He slid it into place, stepping back to admire his family. He held his hands together, tears falling down as his mouth parted in awe and disbelief. He never thought he would make it this far. Never thought he would see the whole collection again, but he had found the final jar among the auction house loot. He had to wait a while to place it as they got settled, but now, he could always come out here to be with his family again. He said a small prayer to himself. 

Leorio walked up behind him, his arms going around his waist. He kissed the back of his head. Padokea’s demons will never cease. It’s a fact he’s come to learn, but the mess they leave in their wake is something he’s just now beginning to understand and deal with. Hopefully, it’ll make him a better police chief and a better  _ man _ . 

“I’ll always be here for you, Kurapika.  _ Always _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The very end! See? It all ended happily~. Once again, thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this and support me on this journey. Stay tuned because I've got some Leopika PWP in the works and another HXH one-shot soon after! 
> 
> Thank you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> So, there it is! The very first chapter! There's a lot of exposition here, but I hope I made it enjoyable. I remember back in January where I had no idea where to even start with this monster and now I'm here. Surprisingly, one of the first ideas I had for this fic was the protest. Gon walking up to the station was another. Where will this all lead? When will the plot become clear? Stay tuned! I'll be posting one chapter a day until June 1st! 
> 
> I'd like to thank the mods of this event one more time and also once again encourage you to read the rest of the awesome works produced in this event! They can all be found under the HxHBB17 tag or on the hxhbb17 blog, where you can also see all the fabulous art work on June 1st! 
> 
> As always my writing requests are open on Tumblr. I do most kinks, so if you want something more explicit I'll be more than welcome to do it! The only thing I'm asking you to do now is make sure I have some way to contact you about your request because I've been having some issues that I won't get into here. But, don't be shy! I promise I don't bite~.
> 
> My Tumblr is yaoiobsessedwrites. It is labeled as an 18+ blog simply because I do reblog NSFW posts, so if you have trouble finding it on mobile that's why. Feel free to message me on my Tumblr! I'm always willing to talk to people about pretty much anything. You can also send me prompts or ask questions! I promise I'm not scary! I also take drabble requests, so just send me a message and I'd be happy to write you something!
> 
> My writing Tumblr is supahimagery. Feel free to message me here as well! Shoot me an ask if you have any writing questions or simply want some advice! I'm always more than willing to help. It's why I created this blog! It's not just for FanFiction either! Feel free to ask me questions pertaining to essay writing, editing, and/or about original works!
> 
> If you have any questions about my writing or would like to see something specific, email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com! 
> 
> I do have a FanFiction account as well. It's under the same penname. Some of the fics on there are pretty old though, so here's your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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